TRANSPORT

Tram and Light Rail Schemes

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect on pollution of (a) buses and (b) light rail schemes.

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what recent studies his Department has carried out to establish the environmental impact of tram and light rail systems;
	(2)  what recent studies his Department has undertaken to establish the impact of tram and light rail systems on crime figures.

John Spellar: The studies below include some assessment of the environmental impact of tram and light rail systems.
	Light Rail and Complementary Measures (Part 1). (Environmental and Transport Planning, 1998).
	Light Rail and Complementary Measures (Part 2). (MVA, 2001.)
	The Department's framework for the appraisal of individual major local transport schemes includes environment and safety among the five overarching objectives which are considered.

Tram and Light Rail Schemes

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what evaluation his Department has made of the impact of (a) tram and light rail schemes and (b) bus routes on social exclusion.

John Spellar: The Social Exclusion Unit's interim report, Making the Connections: transport and social exclusion, looks at the ways in which transport problems can reinforce social exclusion. It concluded that bus services have a particularly important role to play in tackling these. When we consider proposals for major schemes in Local Transport Plans, we take into account their likely impacts on access to the transport system and on different social groups. These can only be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Tram and Light Rail Schemes

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received on tram and light rail schemes from (a) passenger transport authorities, (b) passenger groups, (c) trade manufacturing organisations and (d) trades unions during the last 12 months.

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  which local authorities have been consulted on tram and light rail proposals over the last five years;
	(2)  how many local authorities have sought guidance from his Department on tram and light rail systems.

John Spellar: No records are kept listing all such representations and contacts. However, in the last three years my officials have met local authorities responsible for the Local Transport Plans covering all six Passenger Transport Authorities and the other plan areas listed below to discuss tram and light rail systems.
	Blackpool;
	Bristol;
	Central Leicestershire;
	Greater Nottingham;
	Hampshire;
	Kingston-upon-Hull;
	Lancashire;
	Portsmouth;
	Reading;
	South Gloucestershire; and
	Tees Valley.

Tram and Light Rail Schemes

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how often during the last five years the Council of Ministers discussed tram and light rail systems;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with his European counterparts on the development of tram and light rail systems.

John Spellar: My Department does not keep records of all such discussions. However, light rail systems have been discussed on a number of occasions in the context of the European Commission's proposal of 26 July 2000 for a Regulation concerning public service requirements and the award of public service contracts in passenger transport by rail, road and inland waterway.

Tram and Light Rail Schemes

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what research his Department has carried out on engineering developments for tram and light rail systems;
	(2)  what consideration he has given to the use of tram and light rail infrastructure as part of the European Electronic Railway under the RECITE-II Programme.

John Spellar: None.

Tram and Light Rail Schemes

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  who is responsible for the regulation of tram and light rail systems;
	(2)  how many non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible have a locus in the development of tram and light rail systems.

John Spellar: The Health and Safety Executive is responsible for the regulation of tram and light rail systems. Tram drivers must also comply with certain highways legislation, enforced by the police.

Tram and Light Rail Schemes

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions since 1997 tram and light rail systems have been discussed with other departments as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review.

John Spellar: Light rail systems will have been mentioned from time to time during the discussions with colleagues across Government which take place during spending reviews. No records exist of the number of such occasions.

Tram and Light Rail Schemes

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many qualified tram and light rail drivers there are in the United Kingdom.

John Spellar: My Department does not hold this information. Figures for the number of drivers and on-vehicle staff employed on each system are below.
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Manchester Metrolink 133 
			 Sheffield Supertram 160 
			 Midland Metro 91 
			 Tyne and Wear Metro 242 
			 Docklands Light Railway 200 
			 Croydon Tramlink 90 
			 Blackpool Tramway 35

Tram and Light Rail Schemes

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many civil servants within his Department work on tram and light rail systems' policy.

John Spellar: Policy on major public transport schemes, including light rail, in Local Transport Plans is handled by a team of three staff. Other colleagues, including specialist economists and lawyers, assist as required.

Tram and Light Rail Schemes

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many proposals there have been for tram and light rail systems which his Department has rejected; and if he will list them.

John Spellar: New arrangements were introduced with the inception of Local Transport Plans in 1999. Proposals for new tram and light rail schemes normally need Transport and Works Act powers. If funding from my Department is essential for the project to proceed, promoters should seek a provisional view from my Department on whether the scheme passes the Government's appraisal tests which are used to decide whether a project is eligible for funding before seeking powers. Since the start of these arrangements, two light rail lines (Midland Metro extensions to Birmingham city centre and to Brierley Hill) have received a positive provisional view, a number of others are under consideration, and none have yet been given a negative provisional view.

Tram and Light Rail Schemes

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list those tram and light rail systems visited by ministers over the last five years in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) overseas.

John Spellar: All seven tram and light rail systems in the United Kingdom, as listed below, have been visited by Ministers over the last five years. No information is available on visits to systems overseas.
	Blackpool Tramway
	Manchester Metrolink
	Sheffield Supertram
	Midland Metro
	Tyne and Wear Metro
	Docklands Light Railway
	Croydon Tramlink

Tram and Light Rail Schemes

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times he has met with (a) the Environment Minister and (b) the Housing Minister to establish the impact of tram and light rail systems on their policy evaluation.

John Spellar: None. However, the appraisal of tram and light rail systems takes account of five over-arching objectives: environment, safety, economy, accessibility and integration (including the extent of integration with land use and other government policies).

Tram and Light Rail Schemes

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which manufacturers of components of tram and light rail systems have been consulted in drawing up departmental policy on tram and light rail systems.

John Spellar: Departmental policy on tram and light rail systems is set out in the 10 Year Plan, published in July 2000. In preparing the Plan we took account of the large number of comments we received from consultees and a wide range of other stakeholders on the Integrated Transport White Paper, published in July 1998.

Tram and Light Rail Schemes

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what statistics he collates on the number of tram and light rail systems in each state in the European Union.

John Spellar: None. This information is published annually in Jane's Urban Transport Systems.

Tram and Light Rail Schemes

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what qualifications are required to drive a (a) tram and (b) light rail train.

John Spellar: A category 'B' Motor Vehicle driving license (Driving License Regulations, 1987) is the required qualification.

Road User Charging Schemes

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list recent Government commissioned studies which have made recommendations for road user charging schemes; and if he will make a statement.

John Spellar: Consultants for four Multi-Modal Studies have recommended in their Final Reports that consideration be given to the future introduction of road user charging schemes. These are the West Midlands Area MMS, West Midlands to North West MMS, North/South Movements in the East Midlands MMS and London to South West and South Wales MMS. The Final Reports are now with the respective Regional Planning Bodies who will make recommendations to Ministers. In addition the consultants carrying out the ORBIT (M25 Corridor) MMS have made provisional recommendations which include road user charging proposals.
	Given the practical considerations, we do not believe that a system of inter-urban road user charging for cars could be introduced this decade; accordingly the Government has no plans to do so. However, this is a subject where further work and research is needed and we will revisit it when sufficient progress has been made in clarifying the technical and practical issues involved. In the meantime, we note the arguments put forward both for and against inter-urban charging and are listening to the debate.

Traffic Lights

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the bodies responsible for the maintenance and control of traffic lights in each area of the United Kingdom, including a brief description of their (a) function and (b) statutory duties.

John Spellar: The Statutory responsibility for traffic lights in England rests with the relevant traffic authority. This will be a County Council, Metropolitan District Council, or a Unitary Authority. In London, Transport for London is the traffic authority for strategic routes, London Boroughs for all other roads. However, Transport for London control all traffic lights within the London area, regardless of whether they are the traffic authority for the roads at the junction. The Highways Agency is responsible for trunk roads.
	Similar arrangements apply in Scotland and Wales. The Scottish Executive and Welsh Assembly Government are responsible for trunk roads in Scotland and Wales. Local Authorities in Scotland and Unitary Authorities in Wales are responsible for other roads.
	In Northern Ireland, the Department for Regional Development is responsible for all roads.
	The function and duties of traffic authorities are set out in the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 (RTRA 84). In the present context the authorities' general duty is
	Xto secure the expeditious, convenient and safe movement of vehicular and other traffic (including pedestrians)". Specific duties in relation to traffic signals are covered in Part V of the RTRA 84 and the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 1994.

Airport (Severn Site)

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the Severn Side site in Monmouth will be included as an option for a new airport in the consultation document for the airport white paper.

John Spellar: In advance of the consultation, I do not intend to comment on the status of any specific options as releasing information at this stage could result in unnecessary blight as well as multiplying uncertainty and anxiety. This approach is consistent with my Department's Coe of Practice on the Dissemination of Information during Major Infrastructure Developments.

Transport Council

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the outcome was of the Transport Council meeting on 17 June; what the Government's stance was on each issue discussed, including its voting record; and if he will make a statement.

John Spellar: The Transport Council was held on 17 June in Luxembourg. I represented the UK.
	I was pleased to see the adoption by the Council of two directives on passenger vessel safety. The first of these requires compliance by 2015 by all Member States with the higher standards of damage stability for ro-ro passenger ships engaged on international voyages already introduced following the Estonia disaster by eight EU countries, including the UK (the XStockholm Agreement"). These requirements are complementary to the International Maritime Organisation's (IMO) standard, aimed at increasing the survivability of damaged ro-ro vessels. The very large majority of UK ro-ro ferries have already been altered to comply with the Stockholm standard and those few remaining will be altered as necessary before the deadline of September 2002.
	The second directive on safety of passenger ships makes a number of technical amendments to the existing Directive 98/18. I would particularly draw attention to provisions bringing into Community law the IMO rules and standards on High Speed Craft and placing a duty on Member States to encourage owners to improve accessibility to their ships for people with limited mobility.
	The Council reached agreement on a Directive to open the market for the provision of services, including cargo handling and pilotage, in large and medium-sized ports. For service contracts, there will be maximum durations of 10, 15 and 36 years (plus a possible further 10 years), respectively, for services with no significant investment, services with significant investment in movable assets, and services with significant investment in immovable assets. In addition, I argued successfully for a 40 year period for new ports in the future. The agreed text includes a number of other significant changes, which meet many of the concerns we have had on the Commission's original proposals including protecting working conditions for port workers. The Commission said it would come forward with guidelines as soon as possible to address the important issue of competition between ports.
	The Council did not reach agreement on a Regulation establishing a programme (the Marco Polo programme) to succeed the PACT programme for the promotion of combined transport. The Marco Polo programme would offer Community financial support for modal shift projects, with a budget of Euro 85 million and various thresholds for different types of eligible project. I joined other Member States in arguing that there should be a reduced budget.
	The Commission reported on the need for further action in Europe in the field of maritime security. This would be principally within the framework of the IMO.
	The Council was unable to agree Conclusions on the Commission's transport White Paper of September 2001, which proposes a range of measures to address significant issues such as congestion, safety and the environmental impact of transport. During the debate I was one of a number of Ministers to reject any reference in the Conclusions to tax harmonisation. I also referred to the need to update the existing Eurovignette Directive, to allow Member States to proceed with implementing distance-based charging schemes. Following the debate, the Presidency issued Conclusions.
	The Council did not agree a common position on amendment of the Trans European Network Guidelines. Discussion centred principally on the new list of priority projects. More work will be done on this in preparation for consideration by Ministers during the Danish Presidency.
	The Commission presented a proposal for Community accession to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the IMO. It will be seeking a mandate from the Council to negotiate with these organisations.
	The Council reached agreement on a decision agreeing Community accession to the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation (Eurocontrol), the pan-European body co-ordinating air traffic management. The agreement is subject to Parliamentary scrutiny reservations being lifted.
	There were Presidency Conclusions noting the large degree of support among Member States for the Single European Sky and the agreement of Member States to make progress by 2004 in line with the Conclusions of the Barcelona European Council. The Conclusions also noted the importance of Eurocontrol in the process.
	The Council unanimously adopted a common position on a Directive on occurrence reporting in civil aviation, establishing a common framework for dealing with safety-related incidents. There was agreement on a draft Regulation requiring Member States to provide aviation statistical returns.
	The Commission presented a proposal on subsidy and unfair pricing by third country airlines, noting that some third countries had offered substantial financial support to their airlines, which had an impact on Community carriers.
	The Presidency reported on discussions over lunch about aviation war-risk insurance. The Council believed that State intervention should be limited, to avoid market restriction, but that possible mutualisation schemes should be examined.
	The Council reached agreement on a Directive tightening existing Community legislation on seat belt wearing. A compromise was reached on an exemption for school buses, which will last for five years. We have some concern at the lack of respect for subsidiarity in this proposal and this was made clear to the Council. In our view, it is appropriate to have a broad framework at EU level, leaving details of implementation to Member States.
	The Council did not reach agreement on a regulation on ecopoints for the transit of HGVs through Austria. This would have allowed extension of the ecopoint system beyond the current expiry date of 31 December 2003, but not beyond 2006, pending the forthcoming adoption of legislation on EU-wide infrastructure charging. The Commission concluded that in 2004 the Ecopoint system would finish. The Presidency hoped that imminent high level discussions among key Member States would lead to a solution of the problem of Alpine transit.
	No formal votes were taken at this Council.

Freight Transport

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has for promoting the shift of freight transport from road to rail in the West Midlands to Manchester Midman Transport Corridor.

John Spellar: The West Midlands to North West Conurbation (MIDMAN) Multi Modal study has considered the shift of freight from road to rail. The Study Final Report was published on 3 May 2002. Both the West Midlands Local Government Association and North West Regional Assembly are currently considering the Report and will make recommendations to the Secretary of State in due course. As with all rail aspects of this study, they will need to take account of the ongoing discussions on the West Coast Main Line.

Channel Tunnel (Rail Freight)

Eric Joyce: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the outcome of the meeting held on 30 May between the UK Government, French Government and European Commission to discuss the disruption of rail freight services through the Channel Tunnel.

John Spellar: The Government thanked the Commission for its previous initiatives under the Free Movement of Goods Regulation. At the meeting, the French Government provided a timetable for improved security measures, to be completed in November. The UK Government pressed the French to look carefully at how they could accelerate it.
	We have expressed our willingness in principle to help in any way we can. In particular we are willing to provide specialist detection equipment. Close bilateral contacts between UK and France continue.

Channel Tunnel (Rail Freight)

Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will seek compensation in respect of the cancellation of EWS services through the channel tunnel; and if he will make a statement.

John Spellar: holding answer 20 June 2002
	It would not be appropriate to seek compensation from the European Union for disruptions to EWS services caused by restrictions imposed by SNCF. Freight operators can seek to enforce EU law on the free movement of goods in the French courts, and this could include a claim for losses caused by the breach of that law.
	We continue to press the French Government to consider carefully how the programme of further security improvements at Fréthun, due to be completed in November, might be accelerated.

Channel Tunnel (Rail Freight)

Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects EWS services to be restarted in the Channel Tunnel.

John Spellar: holding answer 20 June 2002
	EWS services through the Channel Tunnel have continued to run, albeit at a greatly reduced level. The French authorities have put in hand a programme of further security improvements, which are due to be completed in November. We are pressing the French to consider carefully how this might be accelerated. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport has asked the Chairman of the Strategic Rail Authority to discuss urgently with the chairman of SNCF how the earliest possible return to normal train services could be achieved.

Channel Tunnel (Rail Freight)

Eric Joyce: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with the French Government in respect of restoring the free movement of exports by rail through the Channel Tunnel.

John Spellar: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport and I have written to the new French Transport Minister and Transport Secretary emphasising the need to ensure a rapid restoration of full rail freight services through the Channel Tunnel. I met the French Transport Minister, Gilles de Robien, on 17 June and discussed this issue with him. The French authorities have put in hand a programme of further security improvements, which are due to be completed in November. We are pressing the French to consider carefully how this might be accelerated.

Rural Transport Network

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to improve the rural transport network by providing extra funding.

John Spellar: The Rural White Paper published in November 2000 announced that #239 million will be specifically made available for rural transport in England for the three year period 2001–02 to 2003–04, a 54 per cent. increase in funding relative to the previous three year period 1998–99 to 2000–01. Funding levels for future years beyond 2003–04 will be decided following the outcome of the 2002 Spending Review.

Railtrack

Eric Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects Railtrack to come out of administration; and if he will make a statement.

John Spellar: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell (Mr. Grayling) on 15 May 2002, Official Report, column 678W.

National Insurance

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the cost to (a) the rail industry and (b) the bus industry of the planned one per cent. increase in employers' national insurance contributions.

John Spellar: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury to the hon. Member for Isle of Wight (Mr. Andrew Turner) on Monday 29 April 2002, Official Report, column 544W.

International Maritime Organisation

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made in the discussions since 15 May in the International Maritime Organisation regarding maritime security.

John Spellar: The Maritime Safety Committee of the International Maritime Organisation in its meeting from 15 to 24 May defined the draft text of binding amendments to the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention. These provide for a coherent basis of security planning for international ships and ports, for approval and inspection arrangements, and for the installation of ship-tracking equipment. The drafts will be submitted for agreement at the Diplomatic Conference announced for December 2002, for which preparations continue at the international and European level.
	The Committee also approved proposals for co-operation between the International Maritime Organisation and other international organisations to progress related improvements in maritime security.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

India and Pakistan

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid has been given to (a) India and (b) Pakistan in the last 12 months.

Clare Short: holding answer 19 June 2002
	DFID's bilateral disbursements to India and Pakistan for financial year 2001–02 (the most recent period for which figures are available) totalled #180 million and #43 million respectively. These figures do not include significant UK contributions through multilateral agencies. Comprehensive UK figures will be published in the autumn.

Kashmir

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what food supplies have recently been sent to Kashmir.

Clare Short: holding answer 19 June 2002
	We continue to closely monitor the situation in Kashmir. State Governments continue to provide food and other assistance to vulnerable groups. To date, there has been no request for assistance to Kashmir, although we stand ready to respond as a need arises.

Debt Cancellation

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on progress towards accelerating the debt cancellation programme under the HIPC process.

Clare Short: So far, 26 countries have qualified for relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative. Relief of more than US$62 billion will be provided to these countries, reducing their debts by more than two thirds on average. Of the 26 countries, 21 have reached Decision Point and are receiving interim debt relief on their Xflow" of payment, and five have completed the HIPC process, and have received an irrevocable reduction in their stock of debt. We expect Cote d'Ivoire to reach Decision Point soon and hope that more countries will reach their Completion Point this year. The prospects of the remaining 10 countries with unsustainable debt are not good. Most of them are in conflict and cannot gain debt relief until they make peace, and the remainder have governance problems.

Air Traffic Control System (Tanzania)

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether she has received a copy of the International Civil Aviation Organisation's full report on the suitability of the air traffic control system that BAE Systems has sold to the Tanzanian Government; and if she will place a copy in the Library.

Clare Short: I have seen a copy of the report but it is the property of the Government of Tanzania and thus it is not appropriate for me to copy it to others.

Afghanistan

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of moneys are channelled through (a) her Department's projects, (b) NGO projects, (c) UN projects and (d) the interim administration for the reconstruction of Afghanistan.

Clare Short: Of the moneys disbursed since 11 September on humanitarian, recovery and reconstruction activities, about 6 per cent. has been channelled through DFID's programme of quick-impact projects; about 23 per cent. through international organisations and NGOs; and about 63 per cent. through UN agencies. No money has been directly channelled through the Interim Administration, but about 8 per cent. has been contributed to the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund, which has been set up to fund the recurrent costs of the Transitional Administration as well as investment programmes.

Afghanistan

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the performance of donor countries which attended the UN Conference in Tokyo in January has been in terms of meeting individual financial pledges and the corresponding levels of financial investment to Afghanistan reconstruction projects.

Clare Short: Contributions are now starting to arrive in the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund, which has been set up to fund investment programmes and the recurrent costs of the Transitional Administration. The UK was the first to contribute. In all, the World Bank expects to receive $100 million from donors in the first wave of donations.
	A number of reconstruction programmes have been approved. We do not have an exhaustive list, but the World Bank alone has recently approved a $10 million Emergency Public Administration Project, a $15 million Emergency Education Rehabilitation and Development Project, and a $42 million Emergency Community Empowerment and Public Works Project. EC projects include support to the Interim Authority (Euro 20 million), urban infrastructure (Euro 7 million), rural development (Euro 28 million), demining (Euro 10 million) and refugee reintegration and community support (Euro 22 million). The Asian Development Bank has approved a $14.5 million programme of technical assistance to build capacity for reconstruction and development. Other programmes are in the pipeline.

Afghanistan

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development with regard to education programmes in Afghanistan, what moneys (a) her Department has pledged, (b) her Department has delivered, (c) other G8 countries have pledged and (d) other G8 countries have delivered.

Clare Short: At the Tokyo Conference in January, international donors pledged funds for the overall reconstruction of Afghanistan, including humanitarian programmes. Pledges were not broken down by sector. The UK pledge was to commit #200 million over five years, on top of the #60 million already committed since September 2001.
	The UK strategy in Afghanistan is to contribute directly to UN agencies and NGOs and to channel assistance via the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF), which has been established to allow donor to finance investment programmes in all sectors, including education. We have made an initial contribution of #5 million to the ARTF. Since September 2001, my Department has also contributed #8 million to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), #2 million of which was specifically for the Back-to-School Campaign in Afghanistan. My Department also continues to support UNICEF and other humanitarian agencies to provide education services to Afghan refugees in Pakistan and Iran. We are currently considering what further support to provide in the education sector.
	G8 nations have not pledged specific amounts for the education sector, but are currently thinking through their strategies in all areas (including education). A multi-donor mission, led by the Asian Development Bank, has scoped the requirements for a framework of assistance to the sector, but work is still at the design rather than the delivery stage.

TREASURY

Spending Review

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will announce the date of the Spending Review.

Paul Boateng: The conclusions of the 2002 Spending Review will be announced before the House rises for the summer recess.

Spending Review

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date he will (a) announce the result of the Spending Review 2002 and (b) publish his Department's Annual report; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Boateng: The conclusions of the 2002 Spending Review will be announced before the House rises for the summer recess. The Treasury's Departmental Report was published on 10 June.

Marginal Deduction Rates

David Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 1 May 2002, Official Report, columns 882–83W, on the Budget Red Book, if he will provide comparable marginal deduction rate figures for individuals.

Dawn Primarolo: The table below shows estimates of the number of individuals facing marginal deduction rates (MDRs) in excess of 40 per cent.
	
		Cumulative number of individuals facing MDRs in excess of 40 per cent. -- Figures in thousands
		
			 Marginal Deduction Rate Before Budget 1998 2002–03 system of tax and benefits After the introduction of NTCs 
		
		
			 Over 100% 10 0 0 
			 Over 90% 190 90 90 
			 Over 80% 450 340 290 
			 Over 70% 1,140 390 390 
			 Over 60% 1,180 1,140 1,750 
			 Over 50% 1,180 1,825 2,000 
			 Over 40% 1,240 1,875 2,275 
		
	
	The figures in the table cover the number of individuals in households in receipt of either income-related benefits or the Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC), or new tax credits from April 2003, where at least one person works 16 hours or more. The effects of income tax and National Insurance Contributions, and the withdrawal of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit have also been included.
	The effect of tax and benefit changes introduced since Budget 1998, including WFTC, reduced the number of individuals in households facing MDRs in excess of 70 per cent. by around three-quarters of a million. As WFTC is more generous than the Family Credit that it replaced, more individuals in households benefit from it, hence the larger numbers facing MDRs over 40 and 50 per cent. in 2002–03.
	Building on the success of WFTC, the Government will be introducing the Child and Working Tax Credits from April 2003. As the new tax credits will be more generous and inclusive than the current system of support, significantly more households will be eligible, and those currently eligible will receive more, hence a greater number will face MDRs over 40 and 50 per cent. from 2003–04.

Public Service Monitoring

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place the underlying data used for the scorecard approach to monitoring public services value for money in Table 3.16 of HM Treasury's Annual report, (Cm 5425) in the Library.

Paul Boateng: The scorecard is based on departmental progress against value for money PSA targets. Departments report progress against their PSA targets in their departmental reports, copies of which are placed in the Library.

Wanless Report

Evan Harris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 12 June 2002, Official Report, column 5437W, on the recommendations of the Wanless report, which passages of the Chancellor's Budget Statement of 17 April addressed the recommendation of the Wanless report on the need for a study of the trends affecting social care.

Paul Boateng: The Chancellor's Budget Statement and the Economic and Fiscal Strategy Report made a number of announcements in relation to health and social services which addressed the recommendations of the Wanless Report. The Government do not plan to commission a further study.

EU Economy

Andrew Turner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his assessment is of the extent to which (a) each EU Government have made their labour markets more successful at adapting to structural economic change and (b) the EU economy has improved its ability to create jobs and respond to structural change.

Ruth Kelly: The progress of reform of EU labour, product and capital markets to increase employment and raise sustainable growth is examined in the Government's White Paper XReleasing Europe's Potential—Economic Reform in Europe", published in February of this year.

Pension Liabilities

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 22 April 2002, to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Pollock (Mr. Davidson), Official Report, column 92W, on pension liabilities, if he will list the liabilities of the UK Government to unfunded public service pension schemes broken down by pension scheme; and what assessment he has made of the proportion of the rise in liabilities in recent years due to (a) wage inflation, (b) longevity, (c) extension of the rights of part time workers and (d) other factors; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Boateng: For the main unfunded schemes' liabilities as at 31 March 2001 I refer the hon. Gentleman to my answer of 12 June, Official Report, columns 1290–91W. There is an underlying increase in the cash values of about 13 per cent. since March 1998. Precise figures are not available for the proportion of the overall rise which is due to the factors specified, but well over half is the result of inflation and most of the rest is due to earnings growth.

National Savings Investments Chief Executive

Barbara Follett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what arrangements are being made for appointing a new National Savings Investment Chief Executive.

Ruth Kelly: Following an open competition, Alan Cook has been selected as the new Agency Chief Executive. Mr Cook is currently Chief Operating Officer at Prudential. This appointment is subject to the usual pre-appointment checks.

Financial Services Act

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cases were referred by the London Stock Exchange or other agencies for possible action under section 177 of the Financial Services Act 1986 in each year from 1995–96; in how many cases inspectors were appointed; in how many cases inspectors reported; how many convictions were achieved; and how many acquittals were made, in each year prior to the implementation of the Financial services and Markets Act 2000.

Melanie Johnson: I have been asked to reply.
	The information about references from the London Stock Exchange, the number of inspections carried out and convictions obtained is set out in the Companies Annual Report which is published each year and it is hoped to be available before the summer recess.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Ministerial Salaries

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the annual cost was of ministerial salaries in her Department in (a) 1997–98 and (b) 2001–02.

Richard Caborn: The total cost of ministerial salaries in 1997–98 (excluding severance payments) was #134,236. This reflects the changes made to the ministerial team at the then Department for National Heritage following the 1997 General Election, which were:
	April 1997 
	Secretary of State
	Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Lords)
	Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Commons)
	May 1997 
	Secretary of State
	Minister of State (Commons)
	Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Commons)
	Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Commons)
	For 2001–02 the salary cost of Ministers (excluding severance payments) was #219,772. Again, this reflects the changes made to the DCMS ministerial team folowing the 2001 General Election, which were:
	May 2001
	Secretary of State
	Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Commons)
	Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Commons)
	Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Commons)
	June 2001
	Secretary of State
	Minister of State (Lords)
	Minister of State (Commons)
	Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Commons)

Bilateral Ministerial Meetings

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when Ministers in her Department have held meetings with Ministers and officials of the Irish Government since 1 June 2000; when and where each meeting took place; which ministers were involved in each meeting; which Irish Government departments were involved in each meeting; and which Ministers and officials from the Irish Government attended each meeting.

Richard Caborn: DCMS Ministers regularly meet their Irish counterparts at EU Ministerial meetings and EU Culture and Audiovisual Council Meetings.
	In addition, my right hon. Friend the Member for Islington South and Finsbury (Mr. Smith) attended a lunch at the British Council in honour of the Irish President on 30 November 2000 and my right hon. and noble Friend the Minister for the Arts met the Irish Prime Minister at the Parliamentary Buildings in Dublin on 3 December 2001 to discuss the 2002 Irish Special Olympics.

Community Arts (Stroud)

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the help available for community arts in the Stroud area.

Kim Howells: holding answer 19 June 2002
	Funding for the arts is a matter for the Arts Council of England and its regional offices. South West Arts, which incorporates Stroud, currently distributes over #9 million a year to help support the arts and increase opportunities for audiences across the region. It also works with local authorities in the development and delivery of arts and cultural activity at a community level and support for community arts is available through both revenue and lottery funds subject to certain criteria being met.

Olympic Games

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the cost was of producing Arup's report on a possible UK bid for the 2012 Olympic Games.

Richard Caborn: We do not yet know the final cost of Arup's work. As soon as this information is known I will write to the hon. Member, placing copies of my letter in the Libraries of both Houses.

Olympic Games

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when her Department will publish Arup's report on a possible UK bid for the 2012 Olympic Games.

Richard Caborn: My Department, together with other key stakeholders, is considering the implications of the Arup cost-benefit analysis of bidding for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. We aim to publish the report in the Autumn.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Export Credits

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will republish the table in the Official Report, 12 June 2000, column 464W, to include data for 2000–01 and 2001–02.

Patricia Hewitt: The following table details Claims Paid, Premium Earned and Claims Recovered in respect of ECGD's support for defence related business in each of the last eleven Financial Years. The cost of interest rate support has been estimated on the proportion of ECGD credit business constituted by defence related business.
	Information on amounts received through Paris Club rescheduling agreements has not been included as it is not held on a sectoral basis and this cannot be readily determined. It is likely that taking account of these amounts would improve the position in respect of defense business cashflow.
	The data for 2001–2002 are currently being audited. I will arrange for the Chief Executive of ECGD to write to my hon. Friend as soon as these figures become available.
	
		
			 Year Premium Earned # million Claims Paid # million Estimate of Interest Rate Support # million Claims Recovered # million 
		
		
			 1990–91 16 79 81 3 
			 1991–92 11 79 2 24 
			 1992–93 44 94 26 21 
			 1993–94 38 83 -7 9 
			 1994–95 16 92 -1 17 
			 1995–96 23 90 2 28 
			 1996–97 8 50 1 2 
			 1997–98 12 39 4 3 
			 1998–99 18 31 3 6 
			 1999–2000 27 152 1 9 
			 2000–01 38 181 4 0

Export Credits

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the Government's policy on the provision of export credits for military equipment.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 19 June 2002
	I refer the hon. Member to my answer given to him on 4 December 2001, Official Report, column 145W.

Furniture Safety

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to review the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988.

Melanie Johnson: Over the last year the Department has consulted with a wide range of interested parties about the effectiveness of the Regulations. I have looked carefully at the results of the consultation.
	The most important point to emerge is that more needs to be done to stop potentially dangerous items of furniture being placed on the UK market.
	Overall, the Regulations are well-established and fit for purpose and set the high safety requirements that are needed to protect consumers. They have saved hundreds of lives since they were introduced.
	I have therefore concluded that although a revision of the Regulations might bring about some small technical improvements, it is not the most effective way of maintaining the necessary high level of consumer protection. Instead, I want to focus on improving the enforcement of the Regulations. I will therefore be meeting with the enforcement authorities, industry representatives and others shortly to agree what action is needed and to identify what the department can do to help.

Furniture Safety

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what estimate she has made of the number of incidences of pieces of furniture being sold in the UK which are non-compliant under the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988;
	(2)  what action she is taking to remove the potential harm presented by the supply of furniture that is in non-compliance with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 (as amended).

Melanie Johnson: Records of instances of sales of non-compliant furniture under the Regulations are not held centrally.
	However, I am concerned at recent reports that non-compliant furniture is being sold in the UK. I will shortly be meeting with representatives of Trading Standards Departments, the furniture industry and other interested parties to discuss the identified problems with non-compliance and to consider what needs to be done in order to ensure that consumers are properly protected and that all those who market furniture in the UK are competing on a level playing field.

Arms Exports

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much in export credit guarantees has been made available in support of military exports; and how much aid has been given to African countries, since June 2001.

Patricia Hewitt: Since June 2001, ECGD has provided support with a value of #7.2 million in respect of one defence related case in Africa.
	Figures for aid are produced by the Department for International Development. The information for the financial year 2001–02 is currently being audited and will appear in the 2002 edition of Statistics on International Development which is due for publication this Autumn.

Arms Exports

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total is of export credit guarantees granted for defence-related sales to (a) Pakistan and (b) India in each of the last five years.

Patricia Hewitt: No ECGD support for defence exports to Pakistan was provided in the last five years. One defence related guarantee was provided to India in 1998, with a value of #14 million.

Arms Exports

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what export licences have been granted since 2 May 1997 for the export of technical packages or upgrade packages for the production of sub-machine guns to (a) Pakistan, (b) Turkey, (c) Switzerland, (d) Iran and (e) Saudi Arabia.

Nigel Griffiths: The export of technical packages and upgrade packages for the production of sub-machine guns is controlled under entries ML1, ML16, ML18, ML21, ML22 and PL5017 in the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994 as amended.
	Details of all export licences issued since 2 May 1997, including any for technical packages and upgrade packages for the production of sub-machine guns, are published by destination in the Government's Annual Reports on Strategic Export Controls. Copies of the 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000 Annual Reports are available from the Libraries of the House. The 2001 Annual Report will be published soon.

Arms Exports

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on how the Government intend to address offshore arms trading through the mechanisms of the Export Control Bill.

Nigel Griffiths: The Government have stated that they will use the new powers in the Export Control Bill to introduce extra-territorial controls on trade in controlled goods to embargoed destinations, trade in equipment the export of which has already been banned because of evidence of its use in torture, and trade in long-range missiles.

Minimum Wage

Archy Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she takes to monitor and collate information on the pay of 16 and 17 year olds in Scotland.

Alan Johnson: Information on the pay and hours of 16 and 17-year-olds in Scotland is available form the annual New Earnings Survey. The latest data available, obtained from the Office for National Statistics for April 2001, show that gross average weekly pay for 16–17 year old full-time employees in Scotland was #156.20.

Minimum Wage

Archy Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on evidence she has collated of substitution of employees for 16 and 17-year-olds following introduction of the national minimum wage in Scotland.

Alan Johnson: There is no evidence to suggest that there has been substitution of 16–17-year-olds for adults following the introduction of the national minimum wage in Scotland.
	According to the Labour Force Survey, published by the Office for National Statistics, the employment of 16–17-year-olds actually fell during a time when overall employment rose. The employment of 16–17-year-olds as a percentage of all in employment fell from 2.9 per cent. in spring 1998 to 2.4 per cent. in spring 2000.

Coal Mining Industry

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much has been paid by the Government for the handling agreement for compensation claims from the coal mining industry.

Brian Wilson: As of 21 June 2002, the Department has paid out over #870 million to claimants under the respiratory disease and vibration white figure compensation schemes.

End of Life Vehicles

Eric Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to introduce a last owner pays system for end of life vehicles; and if she will make a statement.

Brian Wilson: We have consistently made clear our intention to implement the End of Life Vehicles Directive with a light regulatory touch and without disrupting the existing legitimate vehicle dismantling, shredding and recycling market.
	We will require vehicle manufacturers and importers to meet the costs of take-back and treatment of vehicles sold after 1 July 2002, as soon as regulations to that effect can be introduced. From 1 January 2007, vehicle manufacturers and importers will similarly become responsible for such costs for vehicles sold before 1 July 2002, in accordance with the terms of the Directive. This will ensure that a broadly level playing field is maintained with other main car-producing EU countries, such as France and Germany.
	The Directive require treatment facilities to meet new environmental standards when depolluting and dismantling ELVs. We intend to introduce these standards during 2003. The cost of depolluting and dismantling an ELV will offset, and may exceed, its scrap value, but this will depend upon a number of factors, including the age, marque, model and condition of the ELV, the prevailing value of scrap ferrous and non-ferrous metals and other materials at the time, and the efficiency of the treatment facility. Until 2007, and the introduction of producer responsibility for vehicles sold before 1 July 2002, Xlast owners" will continue to be responsible for the disposal of their vehicles, and will be free to negotiate their end-values with treatment facilities. Some ELVs will retain a positive value, and we would expect that new depollution and dismantling costs to be reflected in the market value of second-hand vehicles.
	Additional costs incurred by local authorities as a consequence of the transposition and implementation of the Directive would, under the XNew Burdens" arrangements, fall to be met by the Department of Trade and Industry.

Competitive Tendering

Tim Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on how many occasions in the last 12 months the requirement to engage in a competitive tendering process has been waived by her Department due to national security obligations under paragraph 6(h) of the supply regulations.

Patricia Hewitt: There have not been any such occasions.

Post Office

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to her answer of 31 October 2001, on Post Office cash accounts, if she will make a statement on targets for accounts being operational.

Stephen Timms: Our operational assumption is that around 3 million benefit and tax credit recipients will open a card account at the Post Office, but there will be no cap on numbers on eligibility criteria for these accounts.

Post Office

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the forecast profit or loss for 2003 by the Post Office is, including extraordinary items.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 20 June 2002
	Consignia indicated on 13 June that they expected trading losses to continue into 2002–03 at a similar level to 2001–02, with further exceptional items of around #500 million in the first half of the year.

Rural Network Advisers

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many rural network advisers there were for the Post Office on 31 March; and how many there are now.

Stephen Timms: I am informed by Post Office Limited that on 31 March 2002 there were 31 Rural Transfer Advisers, and that is the number now.

Secondments

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people form organisations outside her Department have been seconded to start work in her Department since 1 January.

Patricia Hewitt: Centrally held records show that 44 inward secondments have started between 1 January 2002 and 17 July 2002.

Energy/Industry Council

Stephen Ladyman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the outcome of the Energy/Industry Council of 6 and 7 June.

Brian Wilson: My hon. Friend the Minister of State for Employment, Industry and the Regions represented the UK at the EU Industry Council held in Luxembourg on 6 June. I represented the UK at the EU Energy Council held on 7 June.
	Industry
	The Council held a round table debate on competitiveness and enterprise policy in the EU. This followed a Commission presentation of its Communication XProductivity: the key to competitiveness". All Member States agreed on the need for further steps to promote productivity, particularly in services, in order to meet the targets set in the Lisbon strategy. The important role of enterprise policy was noted, in particular: improving the regulatory environment, promoting entrepreneurship and enhancing competitiveness. The UK identified the key obstacles in services as being productivity underperformance by the sector, the lack of a true single market in services, the slow pace of technology diffusion, and rigidities in the labour markets.
	Council Conclusions were adopted on Competitiveness and on the e-Economy. The latter build on the Commission Communication XThe Impact of the e-Economy on European Enterprises" aiming to lay foundations for a more strategic approach to EU policies and initiatives for e-business. The Presidency gave a short presentation about the Charter for Small and Medium sized Enterprises, underlining its importance as an area for the Council to focus on, and noting both the Barcelona Council Conclusions on the subject and the full discussion that had taken place at the informal Council of Ministers for Small and Medium sized Enterprises in Aranjuez in February.
	The Commission set out progress on the strategy for chemicals. The first phase of a business impact study was completed, and had been largely endorsed at a conference at the end of May. Costs for business would vary a great deal depending on the details of implementation. This led into a wider Council discussion on the contribution of sustainable development to enterprise policy, on which conclusions were adopted. All Member States saw a role for the Industry Council in looking at environmental dossiers with a big impact on competitiveness. The UK pointed to environmental liability and fluorinated gases as two important current examples. Effective co-ordination between industry and environment Departments in Member States was also important.
	The Commission reported on the action underway relating to the expiry of the ECSC Treaty and on the position in the steel market following the US safeguard action.
	The Presidency noted the progress towards the modernisation of competition law, and wished Denmark well in completing work during 2002, as agreed at the Barcelona Council. The Commission presented its thirty-first report on competition policy noting that 2001 had been a busy year for the Commission. A record 1.8 billion euro fines had been imposed on members of cartels.
	The Commission also presented the new state aid scoreboard, published on 23 May, to the Council. The document would help all concerned pursue the agreed objectives of reducing the re-orientating state aid.
	The Council adopted procedural conclusions on continuing work on Biotechnology with a view to adopting a roadmap of practical actions in due course.
	The Presidency reported the outcome of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership Conference of Industry Ministers in Malaga on 9 and 10 April. This had focussed on a range of measures to open up and develop trade in the region with longer-term objective of establishing a Mediterranean Free Trade Area.
	The Commission presented the report from the G10 High-Level Working Party on medicinal products. This was the first such report to bring together public health and industry issues. It had sparked a number of public debates. The UK spoke in favour of the report. This was an important sector and the report's recommendations aimed at enhancing competitiveness needed to be actioned. Swedish and Spanish Ministers also spoke in support.
	The Council held an informal discussion over lunch on the new Block Exemption Proposal for motor vehicle sales and servicing.
	Possible changes were explored to the Commission's longstanding proposals to allow some state aid for shipbuilding contracts in areas where there is held to be unfair competition from Korea. The Commission remained of the view that this was needed to bolster the proposed WTO action against Korea, which all Member States support. The revised Commission proposal had reduced subsidy rates but over a longer time frame, and allowed for inclusion of Liquid Natural Gas carriers if market data for 2002 justified this. The UK and a number of other Member States maintained their opposition to a subsidy scheme and there was no qualified majority in support. The matter was referred back to the Committee of Permanent Representatives.
	Energy
	The Council considered several matters of interest to the United Kingdom. Energy liberalisation, a new coal state aid regulation and a Biofuels directive formed the main issues of discussion.
	The key point to emerge from discussion of coal state aid was the agreement reached on a new coal state aid regulation to replace the rules in force under the ECSC Treaty, which expires at the end of July. The regulation agreement would allow for operating, closure, investment and Xexceptional cost" aid to phase out gradually by 2010, and provides for simple degressivity of the total volume of operating, closure and investment aid combined in each Member State, with an end date of 2007 for closure aid and 2010 for operating and investment aid. An investment aid provision sought by the UK has been included in the agreed text. Some Member States, regretting that the level of aid would not reduce significantly and continuously, asked the Commission to ensure that the Treaty's state aid articles were respected by Member States. The Commission will enter a declaration undertaking to ensure maximum vigilance in respect of those articles.
	No Presidency or Council conclusions were agreed on energy liberalisation. Member States maintained their positions on the key areas of public service obligations, unbundling, market opening and the rules governing market regulation. There was general agreement on the importance of the principle of public service obligations, particularly in respect of electricity, but disagreement on the details. Some Member States favoured a wide coverage applying to all final customers. Others, including the UK, preferred a narrower definition limited to households. Most Member States supported the inclusion of some form of labelling showing the sources from which electricity had been generated. A majority favoured legal unbundling of transmission and distribution from supply and production, though most also supported a rather high de minimis level. There was widespread support for the separation of the accounts of eligible from non-eligible customers. Most Member States expressed support for the list of duties of national regulators set out in Article 22 of the Presidency text. A progress report on cross-border exchanges in electricity was noted without discussion.
	On biofuels, the majority of Member States reiterated their opposition to mandatory targets. It was, however, agreed that the reference to possible proposals for mandatory targets in the review clause could stand, on the basis that a number of Member States supported the UK's declaration that they would not be bound to accept any such proposals. A few Member States expressed regret that the Council was rejecting the Commission's proposals for mandatory targets for use of fuels of agricultural origin for transport purposes, and that targets would now be indicative.
	General orientation on Trans-European Energy Networks (TENS) was agreed on the basis of a Presidency text. The UK lifted its reserve on the Commission's proposals to amend the energy TENS guidelines—all other reserves had been lifted previously. All Member States welcomed the proposal, but some questioned its financing aspects and in particular the raising of the Community's permissible financial contribution from 10 per cent. to 20 per cent. of total project costs.
	The Commission reported briefly on its recent efforts to persuade Russia to ratify the Energy Charter Treaty.
	The Commission introduced its new energy programme, XIntelligent Energy Programme for Europe", as a refocused version of the existing energy framework programme, which promotes more efficient and cleaner energy use. They said that the intention was to link the new programme to security of supply and the development of the single market. There would also be emphasis on environmental projects.
	The Commission emphasised the importance of security of energy supply and said that a paper for the Seville Council was almost finalised. The Commission argued that Member State responses to the Green Paper had shown the need for demand side measures and for a new approach to oil and gas stocks. The Commission paper would also address the need to double the proportion of electricity generated from renewable sources. The Commission argued that nuclear power was also important, providing the only possible option for meeting Kyoto targets; that a rational approach was needed which would include a fresh look at safety and waste management, particularly in the context of enlargement; and that it was a matter of great concern that the acquis did not currently cover nuclear safety standards. Several Member States expressed clear anti-nuclear views; others either remained non-committal or expressed support. The UK agreed on the need to start working on the follow up to the Commission's Green Paper, but expressed scepticism about the Commission's ideas on oil and gas stocks.
	The Commission made a presentation on the current state of play in the EU/Russia Energy Dialogue. The Commission agreed to Member State requests for greater transparency in the process including participation at meetings.
	Finally, there was brief discussion of the issue of candidatures for the post of Executive Director of the International Energy Agency.

DEFENCE

Medical Treatment

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armed forces personnel by regiment have had medical treatment in (a) 2000, (b) 2001 and (c) 2002 to date under contracts with private sector providers; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: holding answer 7 May 2002
	The information requested is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. I am able, however, to provide figures on treatment provided under the Army Training and Recruiting Agency secondary healthcare initiative, the Waiting List Initiative, the Rapid Treatment Initiative and psychiatric care at Cygnet, Nuffield and Priory groups.
	
		
			 Year Army RN RAF 
		
		
			 2000 191 35 69 
			 2001 1,447 136 377 
			 2002 (to May) 1,046 52 201 
			  
			 Total 2,684 223 647

Service Accommodation

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 22 April 2002, Official Report, column 9W and 15 May 2002, Official Report, column 640W on service accommodation, and with reference to paragraph 5.14 of the Armed Forces Pay Review Body Thirty-First Report 2002; what information his Department holds centrally with regard to repeat repairs undertaken in (a) single living accommodation and (b) service family accommodation; what information held by his Department with regard to (i) the cost to his Department and (ii) the number of repeat repairs can be supplied at proportionate cost; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: The term Xrepeat repairs" is not a recognised description. It could be used for example to cover repairs carried out over a long period pending the major refurbishment of a property, or an interim repair followed shortly by major maintenance work. Both would in a sense repeat work already carried out. In neither case is the information held centrally, nor is it held in a consistent form. A large number of branches would have to be consulted to prepare a reply. This research and the identification of the information would involve disproportionate cost. Nevertheless, if the hon. Member would care to write to me and outline his specific concerns, I shall be happy to look further into the matter and write to him.

Refurbishment

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the refurbishment projects that (a) are in progress and (b) will start within the next six months; and what action is being taken to ensure that these will procure certified timber.

Lewis Moonie: The Ministry of Defence's Safety and Environment Policy launched in 2000 requires MOD to comply with the Environmental Protection Act 1990, the Environment Act 1995, and other relevant statutory provisions and any additional requirements arising from international treaties and protocols to which the UK is a signatory. In particular, this policy includes a commitment to comply with the Government's strategy for sustainable development.
	Guidance has been issued to all MOD acquisition officials which details the implementation of this policy and states that all timber or timber products should be procured form sustainable sources. In addition, tropical hardwood should be independently verified as sourced from forests and plantations which are managed to sustain their biodiversity, productivity and vitality, and to prevent harm to other ecosystems and any indigenous or forest dependent people. Where practicable, the use of reclaimed timber or timber products should be considered. All procurements must comply with international agreements such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) where applicable.
	Given the size of my Department's property holdings a large number of small scale refurbishment projects are underway at any given time, many as part of larger Works Services Management contracts. It is not possible to identify all of these individually without disproportionate effort. To ensure that certified timber is used in property construction, we have a standard contract clause which states that:
	XProjects are to avoid the use of the consumption of products associated with the destruction of tropical rain forests or threatened animal species."
	The major project of this kind currently underway is that to refurbish the MOD Main building in Whitehall. All timber used in the redevelopment will be from certified sustainable sources.
	For the future, I anticipate that refurbishment work undertaken as part of Prime Contracts will comply with all current Government and departmental policy which would include procurement of certified materials.

Computers

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many computers were replaced in his Department in each of the past three years; how the replaced units were disposed of and by which companies; and at what cost.

Lewis Moonie: Details of the number of computers replaced annually in the Ministry of Defence are not held centrally. Since 1999 the Department has had a policy of redeploying surplus equipment wherever possible within the organisation. Once equipment is deemed to have no further use it is declared to the MOD Disposal Services Agency (DSA) for disposal. The number of computers disposed of by the DSA over the past three years is as follows:
	
		
			 Year Number of Computers Disposed 
		
		
			 1999 32,000 
			 2000 13,900 
			 2001 6,600 
		
	
	The companies used by DSA up until April 2002 were Compaq and Sartek. Following re-competition the present contractors are Silver Lining and Re-Commit.
	The disposals processed by DSA have provided a small net annual return to the Department amounting to some #30,000 over the three-year period.

Members of Parliament (Personal Data)

Eric Forth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information is held by his Department on each hon. Member in relation to (a) personal relationships, both current and past, (b) financial status and dealings, (c) connections with companies and interest groups, (d) connections with Governments and (e) published works; and what was held in January 2002.

Geoff Hoon: Ministers and officials in this Department have access to published reference sources, as well as to the information about hon. Members made publicly available by the House authorities, for the purpose of parliamentary business.

Tornado

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when ASRAAM will be operational on Tornado F3; and what progress has been made on the integration of the weapon onto that aircraft.

Lewis Moonie: Integration of the Advanced Short-Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM) on Tornado F3 has been completed. We expect associated safety, training and other evaluation activities to complete in time to enable operational deployment of ASRAAM later this year. However, as my response to the hon. Member on 26 February, Official Report, column 1139W made clear, the missile has been available for operational use, if needed, for some time.

Civil Emergencies

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment has been made of the possible use of Armed Services Reserves for supporting civilian authorities in major civil emergencies; and if he will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 June, Official Report, columns 1259–60W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Loughborough (Mr. Reed).

Secondments

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people form organisations outside his Department have been seconded to start work in his Department since 1 January 1999.

Lewis Moonie: 47 individuals have been seconded to the Ministry of Defence since 1 January 1999.

Porton Down

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 1 May 2002, Official Report, column 789W, on Porton Down, if he will place in the Library a copy of the protocol drawn by the chemical defence establishment for the experiment which was recorded in 1985 in the report, XEvaluation of pyrodostigmine bromide as a pre-treatment for nerve agent poisoning in man"; when the ethics committee overseeing the human experiments at the chemical defence establishment scrutinised this experiment; and if he will place in the Library copies of the papers of the committee which relate to the discussion of this experiment.

Lewis Moonie: The 1985 report summarises the results of several distinct trials, each of which was covered by a separate experimental protocol. I will make arrangements to have these placed in the Library of the House. The protocols describe a variety of pharmokinetic and pharmodynamic studies necessary to provide the information required for the product licence application, as submitted to the DHSS.
	Scrutiny of these research protocols is detailed in the minutes of the meetings of the Committee on Safety of Human Experiments and the Defence Scientific Advisory Council Medical Committee between June 1979 and February 1982. I am withholding copies of the minutes under Exemption 2b of the Code of Practice to Access to Government Information, relating to internal advice and discussion.

Porton Down

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library copies of the documents held by his Department relating to a meeting on 16 January of representatives from his Department and the Medical Research Council Physiological Medicine and Infections Board regarding the epidemiological study into the health of service personnel who took part in experiments at the chemical defence establishment, Porton Down.

Lewis Moonie: The meeting held on 16 January 2002 was not a meeting between members of the Ministry of Defence staff and the Physiological Medicine and Infections Board (PMIB). The PMIB is a Medical Research Council (MRC) body which met on 16 January 2002 to assess the scientific merits of proposals from four research teams for an epidemiological study of the Porton Down Volunteers, as well as to discuss many other scientific issues unrelated to Porton Down. One member of MOD staff attended the Porton Down discussion in an observational capacity only.
	Requests for information relating to the MRC's consideration of the proposals should be addressed to the MRC. MOD has produced no documents relating to this meeting.

Porton Down

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when between 1 January 1994 and 1 January 1997 the Independent Ethics Committee overseeing human experiments at the chemical defence establishment discussed the question of the possible long-term effects of (a) nerve gas, (b) mustard gas and (c) pepper gas on humans.

Lewis Moonie: The Independent Ethics Committee overseeing the conduct of the Service Volunteer Programme at Dstl Porton Down did not discuss the possible long term effects of exposure to nerve gas, mustard gas or pepper gas during its meetings between 1 January 1994 and 1 January 1997.

Atomic Weapons Establishments

Martin Salter: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library the documents pertaining to future development of the atomic weapons establishments from the time the current management took over to date.

Lewis Moonie: Yes.

Atomic Weapons Establishments

Martin Salter: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if employees (a) of the atomic weapons establishments and (b) from his Department (i) have had involvement in, (ii) are involved in and (iii) are intended to be involved in the advanced warhead concept teams being established by the US nuclear weapons laboratories.

Lewis Moonie: Exchanges of information between the United Kingdom and US on nuclear weapon matters take place only under the auspices of the 1958 Mutual Defence Agreement. In particular, employees of the Ministry of Defence and AWE Management Ltd. Participate in the Joint UK/US Working Groups that meet regularly to discuss and exchange technical information. Details of their discussions are withheld under Exemption 1 (Defence, Security and International Relations) of the Code of Practice on access to Government Information.

Atomic Weapons Establishments

Martin Salter: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list construction and engineering projects at the atomic weapons establishments scheduled to begin over the next 12 months, with their estimated cost.

Lewis Moonie: With the exception of routine minor works in support of operations (at a cost of around #10 million a year), no construction and engineering projects are currently expected to progress beyond project requirement definition in the next 12 months. My hon. Friend may wish to note in this context that the widely publicised high performance computer, which AWE have purchase to support the science-based programme, is being commissioned in an existing building.

Atomic Weapons Establishments

Martin Salter: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list construction and engineering projects under way at AWE Aldermaston and Burghfield, and their estimated cost.

Lewis Moonie: With the exception of routine minor works in support of operations (at a cost of around #10 million a year), no construction and engineering projects are currently underway at these sites.

Psychiatric Services

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with representatives of Prior Healthcare regarding the provision of psychiatric services for armed forces personnel; what agreements have been reached; what they will cost; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: holding answer 20 June 2002
	The Ministry of Defence has no formal agreements with the Priory Group but uses their services on an ad hoc basis for the treatment of a small number of armed forces personnel.

F680 Procedure

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how a favourable judgment under the F680 Procedure is communicated to the applicant for that export licence; and how many export licences have been refused in each of the last five years following a favourable judgment upon them under the F680 procedure.

Lewis Moonie: The Government provides companies with marketing advice under the F680 procedure through issue of a standard letter. It is routinely made clear in such letters that the advice given does not constitute an export licence, nor does it prejudge a decision on the eventual consideration of an export licence application.
	It is not possible to correlate F680 advice with export licensing decisions, as the processes are quite separate. For example, F680s may be seeking advice in general terms about marketing prospects which may relate partially to the export that is eventually licensed.

F680 Procedure

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many applications have been made for advice under the F680 procedure in each of the last five years.

Lewis Moonie: The total number of F680 applications received by the Ministry of Defence requesting marketing advice and release of classified information is shown in the table below:
	
		
			 Year (1 January–31 December) Number of Applications 
		
		
			 1997 2,219 
			 1998 2,325 
			 1999 2,092 
			 2000 1,892 
			 2001 1,732

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Household Waste (Composting)

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will publish quality standards for the composting of household waste.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 19 April 2002
	There is currently a fully developed industry standard, produced by the Composting Association (CA), that is available to compost producers. The high quality of this standard is more likely to be met by source-separated organic waste (commercial or household), rather than by mixed household waste.
	The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) are working with the CA and the British Standards Institute (BSI) to convert the existing industry standard into the fast track version (Publicly Available Specification) of a full national British Standard. They anticipate this will be available in the Autumn of this year. The CA, WRAP and BSI are considering options regarding certification schemes that could be linked with the PAS to encourage users of compost to demand a product that meets this standard; this in turn will encourage producers to make the investment necessary to achieve the standard in their production process.

Rural Economy

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average wage was in rural communities in the last 10 years, broken down by constituency.

Alun Michael: Information on the average gross weekly earnings of employees in rural wards in 57 constituencies in England is contained in the table below. The sample sizes in the New Earnings Survey do not permit information to be generated for the other 243 constituencies that contain at least one rural ward.
	
		
			   Average gross weekly earnings of employees in rural wards within the constituency  
			 Constituency 1996 2001 
		
		
			 Bassetlaw — 331.2 
			 Beverley and Holderness 282.7 331.5 
			 Boston and Skegness 244.0 — 
			 Bosworth — 314.3 
			 Brigg and Goole — 327.1 
			 Bury St Edmunds 239.1 316.8 
			 Canterbury 266.4 — 
			 Chichester 223.9 307.4 
			 Congleton 262.2 — 
			 Copeland 384.5 480.8 
			 Cotswold 272.9 — 
			 Crewe and Nantwich — 314.5 
			 Daventry — 353.3 
			 Devizes 237.0 — 
			 Falmouth and Camborne 239.1 262.2 
			 Fareham 252.3 370.8 
			 Fylde 315.6 418.1 
			 Isle of Wight — 282.7 
			 Lincoln — 305.3 
			 Louth and Horncastle 245.6 — 
			 Mid Norfolk — 280.5 
			 Mid Worcestershire 259.8 — 
			 North Dorset — 301.1 
			 North East Bedfordshire 289.3 — 
			 North East Cambridgeshire 273.1 301.0 
			 North Norfolk 226.9 289.7 
			 North Shropshire 248.9 — 
			 North West Hampshire 274.6 358.9 
			 North West Norfolk 265.9 326.5 
			 Northavon 292.0 333.6 
			 Norwich North — 370.9 
			 Ribble Valley 268.2 — 
			 Romsey 246.9 — 
			 Ryedale — 304.9 
			 Selby — 338.1 
			 South East Cambridgeshire 293.5 — 
			 South Holland and the Deepings — 308.3 
			 South West Norfolk — 272.3 
			 Stratford-on-Avon — 366.2 
			 Stroud 253.1 — 
			 Suffolk Coastal 291.0 358.4 
			 Taunton 257.6 269.5 
			 Teignbridge — 283.6 
			 Tewkesbury 329.9 382.7 
			 Tiverton and Honiton 223.2 280.3 
			 Torridge and West Devon 200.3 — 
			 Totnes 199.8 — 
			 Truro and St Austell 245.4 290.6 
			 Wantage — 432.2 
			 Wealden 249.3 — 
			 West Derbyshire 249.2 309.0 
			 West Dorset — 288.3 
			 West Lancashire 282.7 — 
			 West Suffolk — 283.1 
			 Westmorland and Lonsdale — 292.2 
			 Woodspring 305.6 — 
			 Yeovil 298.6 353.0 
		
	
	Notes:
	— Suppressed due to sample size and resultant imprecision.
	1. Information is only readily available for 1996 and 2001.
	2. Includes employees whose pay for the survey pay period was unaffected by absence.
	3. Includes both full-time and part-time employees, but excludes those in self-employment.
	4. Based on 1998 ward and constituency boundaries.
	Sources:
	Figures for average gross pay come from the New Earnings Survey, Office for National Statistics.
	Classification of rural wards made by the Countryside Agency.

GM Crops

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to commission an economic assessment of the costs and benefits of GM crops.

Michael Meacher: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced on 31 May that the Government are commissioning an economic assessment of the costs and benefits of GM crops. This will consider conventional and organic farming interests that might be affected by the commercialisation of GM crops, other commercial interests and the international dimension. The assessment will contribute to a full and informed public debate on GM issues.

Greenhouse Gases

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the United Kingdom greenhouse gas emissions, expressed in terms of million tonnes of carbon, were in (a) 1990 and (b) 2001; and if she will make a statement on whether the United Kingdom is on course to meet its emissions reduction targets under the Kyoto Protocol.

Michael Meacher: holding answer 20 June 2002
	The UK is still on course to achieve its Kyoto Protocol target of a 12.5 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions below 1990 levels by 2008–12.
	In 1990, the UK's emissions of the six greenhouse gases covered by the Kyoto Protocol were 204.9 million tonnes of carbon (MtC). The emissions data for 2001 are still being collected and analysed. My Department plans to publish it in April next year. In 2000, the UK's total greenhouse gas emissions were 177.9 MtC, which is about 13.2 per cent below 1990 levels.
	A provisional estimate for CO2 emissions alone in 2001, based on energy use, was published by the DTI in March in its Energy Trends Publication. That estimate of 154 MtC, which would be a slight increase on the previous year, caused by higher emissions from power stations due to increased coal burn and colder outside temperatures, is about 5 per cent below the level of the UK's CO2 emissions in 1990 of 161.6 MtC.

Recycling

David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to publish guidance to local authorities on the best means of collecting and recycling (a) plastic bottles and (b) cardboard boxes; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: We have no plans to publish guidance to local authorities on the best means for collecting and recycling plastic bottles or cardboard boxes. It is for individual local authorities to decide how best to deliver recycling in their area, taking account of local circumstances and the contractual arrangements for the recyclate.
	However, WRAP (the Waste and Resources Action Programme) is in the initial stages of producing Best Practice Guidance, on collection methods, for local authorities.

Fuel Poverty

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research she has commissioned in order to ascertain the effectiveness of the Warm Front Scheme in (a) delivering health benefits to recipients, (b) reaching people who are defined to be living in fuel poverty, (c) reducing levels of fuel poverty and (d) reducing excess winter deaths.

Michael Meacher: holding answer 20 June 2002
	We will carry out a review of Warm Front during this financial year to look how its delivery has been, the issues faced, solutions found, examples of best practice and future priorities. This will include consideration of the impact of Warm Front on reducing the number of vulnerable fuel poor households and benefits to those assisted.

Fuel Poverty

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she plans to consult on her proposed revisions to the Fuel Poverty Strategy; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Meacher: We plan to consult shortly on a clarificatory statement to the UK Fuel Poverty Strategy.

Committee Mandates

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the EU Committee for the adaptation to scientific and technical progress of the Directive on bathing water is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; when it is next due to meet; what the United Kingdom representation on it is; whether experts nominated by the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Meacher: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Buckingham (Mr. Bercow), on 21 May 2002, Official Report, column 184W. No date has been set for the next meeting. UK representation can vary according to the agenda for each meeting and may include members of the Scottish Executive and other devolved Administrations where there are items of sufficient interest. A member of the Scottish Executive has attended both the meetings held over the past 12 months.

Committee Mandates

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the EU Committee on the Directive on packaging and packaging waste is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; when it is next due to meet; what the United Kingdom representation on it is; whether experts nominated by the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Meacher: The mandate of the Committee on the Directive on Packaging and Packaging Waste (94/62/EC) is advisory in the terms laid down in Article 21 of the Directive as follows:
	The Commission shall be assisted by a committee composed of the representatives of the Member States and chaired by the representative of the Commission.
	The representative of the Commission shall submit to the committee a draft of the measures to be taken. The committee shall deliver its opinion on the draft within a time limit which the chairman may lay down according to the urgent of the matter. The opinion shall be delivered by the majority laid down in Article 148 (2) of the Treaty in the case of decisions which the Council is required to adopt on a proposal from the Commission. The votes of the representatives of the Member States within the committee shall be weighted in the manner set out in that Article. The chairman shall not vote.
	(a) The Commission shall adopt the measures envisaged if they are in accordance with the opinion of the committee.
	If the measures envisaged are not in accordance with the opinion of the committee, or if not opinion is delivered, the Commission shall, without delay, submit to the Council a proposal relating to the measures to be taken. The Council shall act by a qualified majority.
	If, on the expiry of a period which may in no case exceed three months from the date of referral to the Council, the Council has not acted, the proposed measures shall be adopted by the Commission.
	The Article 21 Committee has met four times over the last 12 months and is next due to meet on 10 July 2002. The DTI has lead responsibility for representatives, along with DEFRA, and officials from both Departments are present at most meetings. All the devolved Administrations are kept fully informed of the work of the Committee and may send experts to the meetings if they wish.

Noise Forum

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to make publicly available the publications issued by the Government and on behalf of the Government which were distributed at the United Kingdom Noise Forum's inaugural conference on 20 May.

Michael Meacher: These were placed on the DEFRA website http://defraweb/environment/noise/research.htm on 20 May 2002.

Noise Forum

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reason the press was excluded from the United Kingdom Noise Forum's inaugural conference.

Michael Meacher: Attendance at the Conference was by invitation only. The Conference held three separate workshops in the afternoon, which sought to generate ideas and solutions, which could assist Government in considering different ways in which to tackle the different problems noise cause. It was felt that it would be inappropriate for the press to be present during these sessions as this might have prevented fully frank and open discussions. However, the press attended the Conference at 4.00pm both to listen to my statement to the Conference and the summaries that arose from the workshops.

Packaging Waste

Jonathan Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to ensure a swift conclusion to the debate in Europe on the review of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (94/62/EC); and if she will introduce interim targets for recovery and recycling over the next three years in advance of new EU targets.

Michael Meacher: The Government are fully involved in the negotiations in Europe on the review of the EC Directive on packaging and packaging waste. It has always been the UK Government's policy in these negotiations to urge a swift conclusion to the debate on the targets for the next 5-year period.
	It is my intention to consult this year on interim business recovery and recycling targets for 2003 and 2004.

Packaging Waste

Jonathan Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures the Government intends to take to ensure that the requirements of the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997 are uniformly enforced across the UK.

Michael Meacher: I will be looking, with my colleagues in the devolved Administrations, at the Regulations to see whether there are any amendments needed to ensure the most effective functioning of the UK's packaging waste recovery system. Any changes the Government propose to make will be included in a consultation paper to be issued this summer.

World Summit on Sustainable Development

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the matters discussed, decisions taken and commitments made at the preparatory meeting for the World Summit on Sustainable Development, held in Bali in June; and if she will place in the Library copies of submissions made (a) by the United Kingdom and (b) by other countries which are specifically relevant to the UK.

Michael Meacher: The Fourth Preparatory Committee meeting for the World Summit on Sustainable Development discussed the documents which will be finalised at Johannesburg. Progress was made on a Programme of Action, which includes the importance of sanitation in eradicating poverty and meeting the Millennium Development Goal of safe drinking water. Broad agreement was also reached on key issues such as the urgent need to restore fish stocks and address illegal fishing, and on the important role non-governmental actors can play in achieving sustainable development. The meeting also recognised the need for a strong focus on Africa. In addition, preliminary discussions took place on elements for a Political Declaration at Johannesburg. The Programme of Action as it currently stands can be found at www.johannesburgsummit.org
	No written submissions were made by either the UK or the EU, as the conference was a negotiating session based on positions outlined in earlier meetings and submissions.

End of Life Vehicles

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is she will make a statement on the cost of disposing of end-of-life vehicles; who has responsibility for dealing with end-of-life vehicles; and if she will make a statement.

Brian Wilson: holding answer 17 June 2002
	I have been asked to reply.
	I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Friend the Member for Carlisle earlier today at column 592W.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Special Schools

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average funding per pupil was for children in special schools in each of the last five years, broken down by local education authority.

David Miliband: The table below sets out the information requested in respect of the financial years 1999-2000, 2000–01 and 2001–02. Information for the financial year 1998–99 is not held electronically and not, therefore, readily available. Information for 2002–03 is not yet available.
	
		Real Terms (2000–01 prices) Special Schools: Funding per pupil
		
			  1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 
		
		
			 201 City of London n/a n/a n/a 
			 202 Camden 24,920 22,580 25,680 
			 203 Greenwich 14,670 16,130 18,260 
			 204 Hackney 16,310 16,890 17,050 
			 205 Hammersmith and Fulham 17,930 19,200 19,550 
			 206 Islington 20,140 24,840 21,390 
			 207 Kensington and Chelsea 42,300 45,760 41,000 
			 208 Lambeth 14,710 15,390 15,530 
			 209 Lewisham 14,690 15,690 16,340 
			 210 Southwark 18,350 18,760 19,600 
			 211 Tower Hamlets 18,450 19,960 24,100 
			 212 Wandsworth 17,000 17,520 18,400 
			 213 Westminster 29,770 31,140 37,750 
			 301 Barking and Dagenham 18,270 19,320 20,000 
			 302 Barnet 18,700 21,450 22,460 
			 303 Bexley 11,940 12,660 13,660 
			 304 Brent 18,810 17,600 21,850 
			 305 Bromley 14,950 15,510 16,540 
			 306 Croydon 14,850 15,670 16,170 
			 307 Ealing 18,230 18,590 21,230 
			 308 Enfield 16,100 17,920 19,630 
			 309 Haringey 20,020 19,950 23,230 
			 310 Harrow 15,250 16,430 19,830 
			 311 Havering 12,790 13,720 14,840 
			 312 Hillingdon 14,230 16,040 17,890 
			 313 Hounslow 15,200 16,110 17,560 
			 314 Kingston upon Thames 12,800 13,110 18,110 
			 315 Merton 9,850 10,340 10,050 
			 316 Newham 40,280 45,060 56,970 
			 317 Redbridge 17,320 18,440 24,860 
			 318 Richmond upon Thames 17,740 19,400 19,770 
			 319 Sutton 13,330 15,060 15,930 
			 320 Waltham Forest 15,310 15,740 23,450 
			 330 Birmingham 13,960 14,770 15,890 
			 331 Coventry 13,460 12,790 14,020 
			 332 Dudley 8,930 9,220 9,890 
			 333 Sandwell 13,870 15,940 18,160 
			 334 Solihull 10,010 12,660 12,890 
			 335 Walsall 12,260 14,210 15,200 
			 336 Wolverhampton 8,280 11,110 11,670 
			 340 Knowsley 10,370 11,160 12,380 
			 341 Liverpool 10,850 12,520 13,480 
			 342 St. Helens 10,650 12,020 13,700 
			 343 Sefton 13,160 15,110 15,470 
			 344 Wirral 11,580 11,650 12,670 
			 350 Bolton 11,610 12,330 13,120 
			 351 Bury 15,380 15,790 15,800 
			 352 Manchester 13,220 13,220 15,460 
			 353 Oldham 13,630 14,730 15,460 
			 354 Rochdale 9,620 10,650 11,770 
			 355 Salford 15,180 14,160 16,910 
			 356 Stockport 10,710 11,370 12,300 
			 357 Tameside 11,370 12,730 14,730 
			 358 Trafford 11,450 12,680 12,060 
			 359 Wigan 12,180 10,840 13,380 
			 370 Barnsley 13,670 15,720 16,710 
			 371 Doncaster 8,840 9,230 9,970 
			 372 Rotherham 8,870 9,760 10,150 
			 373 Sheffield 16,250 18,040 18,350 
			 380 Bradford 11,210 12,160 11,820 
			 381 Calderdale 15,390 17,060 19,330 
			 382 Kirklees 11,520 12,770 12,900 
			 383 Leeds 11,020 11,610 12,370 
			 384 Wakefield 11,760 13,020 15,040 
			 390 Gateshead 12,140 13,450 14,360 
			 391 Newcastle upon Tyne 12,420 19,190 14,420 
			 392 North Tyneside 9,300 9,480 11,000 
			 393 South Tyneside 7,970 9,520 9,560 
			 394 Sunderland 9,140 9,710 10,770 
			 420 Isles of Scilly n/a n/a n/a 
			 800 Bath & North East Somerset 12,930 13,520 13,710 
			 801 City of Bristol 12,940 14,580 16,470 
			 802 North Somerset 13,460 13,240 12,230 
			 803 South Gloucestershire 12,630 14,190 14,410 
			 805 Hartlepool 10,970 13,950 16,130 
			 806 Middlesbrough 10,000 9,970 10,810 
			 807 Redcar and Cleveland 8,800 9,490 11,770 
			 808 Stockton-on-Tees 10,480 11,520 11,880 
			 810 City of Kingston Upon Hull 12,870 13,900 14,460 
			 811 East Riding of Yorkshire 17,660 18,520 20,910 
			 812 North East Lincolnshire 8,270 8,550 8,710 
			 813 North Lincolnshire 12,960 14,440 15,390 
			 815 North Yorkshire 15,160 16,080 17,450 
			 816 York 10,690 11,640 12,300 
			 820 Bedfordshire 11,020 12,370 13,310 
			 821 Luton 12,330 16,610 17,960 
			 825 Buckinghamshire 11,670 13,890 15,610 
			 826 Milton Keynes 11,490 12,080 12,760 
			 830 Derbyshire 14,370 15,040 16,090 
			 831 Derby 12,060 12,700 13,990 
			 835 Dorset 11,850 13,440 14,880 
			 836 Poole 10,590 12,150 14,270 
			 837 Bournemouth 14,170 14,340 14,910 
			 840 Durham 10,880 11,940 12,180 
			 841 Darlington 9,550 10,760 11,650 
			 845 East Sussex 14,250 15,130 16,390 
			 846 Brighton and Hove 11,790 12,740 15,120 
			 850 Hampshire 12,460 13,580 14,350 
			 851 Portsmouth 11,320 12,620 12,940 
			 852 Southampton 12,290 14,690 16,920 
			 855 Leicestershire 22,860 22,570 17,590 
			 856 Leicester 11,370 15,630 16,080 
			 857 Rutland 22,670 22,790 23,870 
			 860 Staffordshire 10,100 10,970 11,530 
			 861 Stoke-on-Trent 9,190 9,560 9,610 
			 865 Wiltshire 23,400 21,980 21,830 
			 866 Swindon 11,780 15,070 14,940 
			 867 Bracknell Forest 14,970 17,540 17,850 
			 868 Windsor and Maidenhead 13,230 13,870 17,910 
			 869 West Berkshire 11,190 11,560 12,730 
			 870 Reading 11,730 15,940 14,410 
			 871 Slough 13,680 14,700 15,750 
			 872 Wokingham 14,520 16,160 18,740 
			 873 Cambridgeshire 13,000 13,820 14,550 
			 874 Peterborough 17,740 15,970 16,770 
			 875 Cheshire 15,230 15,730 17,200 
			 876 Halton 12,910 13,190 12,940 
			 877 Warrington 14,260 14,240 14,830 
			 878 Devon 14,680 15,910 15,610 
			 879 Plymouth 9,090 10,740 10,200 
			 880 Torbay 6,610 9,190 10,240 
			 881 Essex 13,680 14,370 14,740 
			 882 Southend-on-Sea 11,080 12,220 12,740 
			 883 Thurrock 10,330 11,030 13,210 
			 884 Herefordshire 17,930 22,090 19,010 
			 885 Worcestershire 10,910 11,590 12,260 
			 886 Kent 12,780 13,430 14,410 
			 887 Medway 14,360 16,770 13,320 
			 888 Lancashire 13,570 14,110 13,970 
			 889 Blackburn with Darwen 12,600 11,690 12,550 
			 890 Blackpool 10,150 10,000 12,650 
			 891 Nottinghamshire 14,370 14,520 14,450 
			 892 Nottingham 15,130 15,050 15,670 
			 893 Shropshire 22,180 17,210 19,520 
			 894 Telford & Wrekin 8,620 11,170 11,690 
			 908 Cornwall 13,110 14,720 15,240 
			 909 Cumbria 15,640 15,350 15,880 
			 916 Gloucestershire 12,160 13,340 14,310 
			 919 Hertfordshire 14,500 14,990 15,500 
			 921 Isle of Wight 8,420 9,520 10,420 
			 925 Lincolnshire 13,650 14,280 15,920 
			 926 Norfolk 16,020 16,200 16,180 
			 928 Northamptonshire 10,410 11,520 11,230 
			 929 Northumberland 9,330 11,130 12,510 
			 931 Oxfordshire 14,860 15,780 16,950 
			 933 Somerset 13,480 14,070 16,570 
			 935 Suffolk 9,960 10,500 10,010 
			 936 Surrey 14,970 14,460 15,700 
			 937 Warwickshire 11,800 12,860 12,900 
			 938 West Sussex 16,630 12,530 13,590 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Funding figures are based on LEAs Section 52 Budget Statements (1999–2000, 2000–01 and 2001–02) as returned to the DfES).
	2. The figures cover the special schools element of the Individual Schools Budget (ISB), and Devolved Standards Fund for special schools (these are estimated for 1999–2000 as devolved Standards Funds were not separately identified on the 1999–2000 returns), related central expenditure on educational psychologists, statementing, SEN support services and home to school transport.
	3. The figures are gross of income.
	4. Pupil numbers are financial year averages, based on Jan Annual School Census data.
	5. Real terms figures are quoted in 2000–01 prices, and have been calculated using Budget (April) 2002 GDP deflators.
	6. Figures are quoted to the nearest #10.

Teachers (Leeds)

Paul Truswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many whole-time equivalent teachers were employed in Leeds schools in January.

David Miliband: There were 6,280 full-time equivalent1 teachers in service in the maintained schools sector in Leeds in January 2001. Data for January 2002 are not yet available at local education authority level. Information on teachers in service in January 2002 by local education authority will be published in the Teachers in England statistical volume in December 2002.
	1 Part-time teachers have been converted to an estimate of their full-time equivalence and added to full-time numbers.

Primary Schools

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average cost of constructing a new one-form-of-entry 4–11 primary school has been in the last three years.

Margaret Hodge: The average cost of constructing a new 1FE 4–11 primary school over the last three years has been approximately #1.35 million. Land acquisition costs are additional to this figure.

Capital Projects

Debra Shipley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent speeches she has made on design quality within her Department's capital building programme.

Margaret Hodge: In her opening speech at the British Education and Training Technology (BETT) Show in January, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State set out the Government's vision of how schools would be in the future, including aspects of their design. She also announced that the Department would be publishing a design guide, XSchools for the Future", which looks at ways of designing inspiring buildings that can adapt to educational and technological change. This was published in February 2002, following the publication the previous year of XInclusive School Design—accommodating pupils with special educational needs and disabilities in mainstream schools."
	Baroness Ashton is the Department's Ministerial Design Champion. She gave a speech on achieving design quality in PFI schools at a conference organised by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) last October.
	CABE helped the Department run the Neighbourhood Nurseries Design Competition. I launched this in May 2001 and its aim was to ensure that all new buildings created are of high design quality, providing imaginative and stimulating places in which young children can learn and play. The competition was successfully completed in June 2002 and the work of the winners is being used to influence design across the early years and childcare sector.

Medical Education

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the funding of grades below 5* in medical education.

Margaret Hodge: The 2001 Research Assessment Exercise showed a strong increase in top quality research, with more 5* departments than ever before. The Higher Education Funding Council for England decided to protect funding levels for top rated departments, and my Department added #30 million to HEFCE funding for next year. The RAE is designed to determine relative quality. It is not designed to determine the quantum of money spent on research. That is a matter for the Spending Reviews.

Child Care

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many registered (a) day nurseries, (b) childminders, (c) playgroups and (d) out-of-school clubs there were in England at 31 March.

Margaret Hodge: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Number of daycare providers by type 1 -- England: Position at 31 March 2001
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Day nurseries 7,800 
			 Registered childminders 72,300 
			 Playgroups and pre-schools 14,000 
			 Out of school clubs 4,900 
		
	
	1 Figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred.
	Latest figures on Day Care facilities in England were published by the Department in the Statistical Bulletin XChildren's Day Care facilities at 31 March 2001 (08/01)" in October 2001, a copy of which is available from the Library. An electronic copy of this publication is also available on the Department's web-site (www.dfes.gov.uk/ statistics).

University Funding

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what the Government financial revenue support has been to each university in England and Wales over the present spending review three year period, with an estimate for the current year, in (a) cash, (b) real and (c) real spending per whole time student terms;
	(2)  what the (a) funding and (b) average resources per full-time student have been in each university in the Government Office North East region in each year since 1996 in (i) cash and (ii) real terms, together with the allocation for 2002–03; and what the average for England is.

Margaret Hodge: Public funding for higher education institutions in England is allocated by the Higher Education Funding Council for England. The annual allocations of recurrent grant to higher education institutions and to further education colleges delivering higher education are publicised each year by the Funding Council. Copies are at http://www.hefce.ac.uk/Pubs/
	Information on publicly planned funding per full time equivalent student by institution is not available. For England as a whole, the data are shown in the table:
	
		Funding per Student
		
			  Cash Terms Real Terms 
		
		
			 1996–97 4,330 5,010 
			 1997–98 4,580 4,910 
			 1998–99 4,690 4,900 
			 1999–00 4,780 4,900 
			 2000–01 4,860 4,860 
			 2001–02 5,010 4,880 
			 2002–03 5,150 4,900 
		
	
	The funding of institutions in Wales is a matter for the devolved administration.

Performance Targets

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the (a) cost and (b) saving has been from the Department's pursuit of Service Delivery Agreement targets in each year since they were introduced.

Stephen Twigg: The Department's Public Service Agreement sets out the key outcomes it is committed to deliver with the resources provided, and its Service Delivery Agreement sets out the key steps towards delivery of those targets. Every year the Department publishes performance against its targets—including on value for money—and the resources it has used, in its departmental report.

Arts Education

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent representations she has received on the impact of abolition of intermediate GNVQs on arts education in secondary schools.

Stephen Twigg: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has received one letter from Aldercar Community Language College, Nottingham, on the effect of the loss of the intermediate GNVQ in Performing Arts.

CABINET OFFICE

Civil Emergencies

Mike Hancock: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what measures have been taken by the Civil Contingencies Secretariat to improve co-ordination between departments following 11 September 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: Since 11 September, the Civil Contingencies Secretariat (CCS) has worked systematically with other government departments, the emergency services, local authorities and the Devolved Administrations. This work includes regular liaison meetings to discuss and resolve significant issues. In this way, CCS is in a position to advise Ministers of issues that require central leadership or facilitation. CCS has arranged, taken part in or observed a number of exercises to test and improve current arrangements.

Civil Emergencies

Mike Hancock: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment has been made of the system of sharing information across departments in major civil emergencies after 11 September 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: Following 11 September, the Civil Contingencies Committee, chaired by the Home Secretary, has reviewed the Government's plans and arrangements for handling civil emergencies, all of which require the effective sharing of information across relevant departments.

Information and Communication Service

Tim Collins: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the expenditure of the Government's Information and Communication Service's operations within the Cabinet Office was (a) in the latest available year and (b) in 1996–97; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: In 2001–02, the Government Information and Communication Service's centre in the Cabinet Office spent #750,000 on its operations to support recruitment, promotion and career development, and the provision of advice on propriety and professional matters. The equivalent for its predecessor, the Information Officer Management Unit, in 1996-97 was #607,000.

Committee Mandates

John Bercow: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the mandate of the Advisory Committee on Equal Opportunity for Women and Men is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if he will list the items currently under its consideration; if he will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if he will make a statement.

Patricia Hewitt: I have been asked to reply.
	I have nothing to add to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Member for Hornsey and Wood Green on 23 May, Official Report, columns 557-58W.

LORD CHANCELLOR

Staff Numbers

John Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many staff were employed by her Department on (a) 2 May 1997 and (b) 31 May 2002.

Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Paisley, South (Mr. Alexander), on 13 June 2002, (Official Report, column 1402W).

Strelley Social Club

Graham Allen: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department with reference to the letter of 13 February from the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, my hon. Friend the Member for Doncaster, Central (Ms Winterton) to the hon. Member for Nottingham, North, when he expects the Official Solicitor to have traced the members of the Strelley Social Club in order to distribute the income of the club to the surviving members; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: This question concerns the resolution of a long-outstanding dispute as to the funds of a defunct private social club. The Official Solicitor became involved in 1999, following some 14 years of litigation, which has now been settled. It is his responsibility to carry into effect the terms of the settlement, in accordance with a High Court Order. In doing so he will be acting under the supervision of the Court, and this is not a matter upon which I can intervene.

Advertising

John Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how much was spent on press and advertising campaigns in 2001–02; and what the planned expenditure is for 2002–03.

Rosie Winterton: My Department did not conduct any press and advertising campaigns in the financial year 2001–02 and has not at present planned any such campaigns for 2002–03.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what budget provision has been made to implement the provisions of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 18 June 2002
	Financial implication of provisions in the Nationality and Asylum Bill, were set out in the XFinancial effects of the Bill" in the Explanatory Notes to the Bill, as introduced in to the House of Commons.
	Spending plans and priorities for all immigration and nationality areas are under discussion with Treasury as part of the Spending Review 2002.

Dungavel Detention Centre

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the cost of converting Dungavel Detention Centre into a removal centre is to be met from his Department's budget.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 18 June 2002
	The refurbishment cost of Dungavel Removal Centre was met from the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) budget.

Inquiry Costs

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost of the (a) Inquiry into the Bradford City Football Club fire in May 1985, (b) Hillsborough Stadium disaster in 1989 and (c) Shipman Inquiry was.

John Denham: I understand from West Yorkshire Police that it is no longer possible to identify the costs of the Police Inquiry into the Bradford City Football Club fire in 1985. Financial arrangements for West Yorkshire Police Authority in 1985 were made through the former West Yorkshire Metropolitan County Council, which was replaced in 1986. This information can only be retrieved at disproportionate cost.
	I understand from West Midlands Police that the cost of the Police Inquiry into the Hillsborough Stadium disaster totalled #3.8 million.
	I understand from Greater Manchester Police that the costs of the Shipman Police Inquiry totalled #1.65 million.

Policing (Cheltenham)

Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what effect the Budget will have on policing in Cheltenham.

John Denham: Police forces in the south-west and Wales have received extra funding to make communities safer. Avon and Somerset Police received a cash boost to step up operations against street offenders and all forces in the south-west and Wales, including Gloucestershire, received funding allocations based on careful assessments of their current requirements and commitments to provide an enhanced counter-terrorist capability. The overall level of funding allocated following the Budget, to police forces in the south-west and Wales for counter terrorism purposes, #1.8 million, has been made public. To break this down further in public could compromise security.

Special Constables

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average length of service of a special constable is in working in (a) Jarrow, (b) South Tyneside and (c) the UK.

John Denham: I am informed by the Chief Commandant of Northumbria Police Special Constabulary that the average length of service for special constables in Jarrow and South Tyneside is three years.
	Complete data concerning the average length of service are not available centrally. The most recent available Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) returns regarding specials in post were for March 2000, and these asked how long specials had been in post within bands of less than six months, six months to two years, two to five years, five to 10 years, and over 10 years. These figures show that most specials in England and Wales fell within the band of length of service of between two and five years at that time.

Special Constables

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Department plans to introduce incentives to encourage people to become career special constables.

John Denham: The police reform process is an opportunity to achieve a stronger, increasingly professional special constabulary. We are introducing a range of measures to improve the recruitment and retention of specials. These include: a new headline role focusing on intelligence led patrolling and crime reduction initiatives; a new national foundation training package for special constables; joint Home Office/Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) good practice guidance covering recruitment, management and deployment of specials; new conditions of service and conduct regulations.
	In January 2002 we ran a press campaign targeting Specials as part of the national recruitment campaign for the regular Police Service. We are also considering whether we can increase the opportunities for recognising the skills and experience specials acquire in forces and in their wider workplace. And as my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary (Mr. Blunkett) recently announced in his speech at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), we will also be working with employers who are specials.

Special Constables

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many special constables have operated in the Jarrow constituency in each year since 1997.

John Denham: I am informed by the Chief Constable of Northumbria Police that the number of specials is not collected at constituency level, but is collected within force at Area Command level. The Jarrow constituency falls within the South Tyneside Area Command. For the South Tyneside Area Command, figures are available for the previous three years as follows:
	1 April 2000: 29
	1 April 2001: 28
	1 April 2002: 25

Rural Policing

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent on rural policing in (a) 1999–2000, (b) 2000–01 and (c) 2001–02.

John Denham: holding answer 13 June 2002
	The deployment of resources within a police force area is a matter for the Chief Officer who will assess local needs in line with operational priorities and the force policing plan, and allocate available resources accordingly. Records of the amount of spending on rural policing are not held centrally.
	The funding formula for Police grant in England and Wales allocates 0.5 per cent (around #38 million) of total funding in relation to sparsity of population. In addition, in June 2000 we introduced the Rural Policing Fund that allocates additional resources to police forces to enhance policing in rural areas. The fund was #15 million for 2000–01 and #30 million for 2001–02 and 2002/03.
	Policing in Scotland is a devolved issue and is a matter for the Scottish Executive.

Rural Policing

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures his Department is taking to maintain a police presence in rural and remote areas of England and Wales.

John Denham: holding answer 17 June 2002
	The deployment of resources, including police officers, within a police force area is a matter for the Chief Officer who will assess local needs in line with operational priorities and the force policing plan, and allocate available resources accordingly.
	The funding formula for Police grant in England and Wales allocates 0.5 per cent (around #38 million) of total funding in relation to sparsity of population. In addition, in June 2000 we introduced the Rural Policing Fund that allocates additional resources to police forces to enhance policing in rural areas. The fund was #15 million for 2000–01 and #30 million for 2001–02 and 2002–03. The rural policing fund benefits 31 police forces. Devon and Cornwall constabulary receive the highest allocation from the fund, just over #3 million.

Firearms

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions his Department has had with the Metropolitan Police on the purchase of additional firearms in the last 12 months.

John Denham: There have been no direct discussions between the Home Office and the Metropolitan Police on the purchase of additional firearms in the last 12 months.

Police Recruitment

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis about the recruitment of more black and Asian officers.

John Denham: The issue of recruitment and retention is discussed at the regular meetings I have with the Commissioner. Those discussions include issues affecting the employment of minority ethnic officers.

Crime Prevention

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what crime prevention projects in schools are funded by his Department.

John Denham: holding answer 17 June 2002
	We have funded a number of schools based projects and diversionary schemes as part of the Home Office Crime Reduction Programme and through the Youth Justice Board's youth crime prevention programme.
	These include, the Crime Reduction in Secondary Schools (CRISS) programme which comprises of 34 projects covering 105 schools at a cost of #12 million over three years, and the Youth Justice Board Youth Inclusion programme at a cost of over #8 million which include school based elements.
	We are also supporting the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) led Police in Schools initiative which will deliver 100 police officers in schools in 34 identified London Education Authorities (LEAs) by September 2002.

Venture International Projects

David Lepper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons Venture International Projects did not secure a contract to provide accommodation services to the National Asylum Support Service; with reference to section 23 of the Public Services Contracts Regulations 1993.

Angela Eagle: Venture International Projects Ltd expressed an interest to the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) in providing accommodation services for destitute asylum seekers. Their offer was fully considered but they were not awarded a contract. For reasons of commercial confidentiality the details of this decision may not be disclosed.

ID Entitlement Card

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when his ID entitlement card provisions will be published.

Beverley Hughes: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary (Mr. Blunkett) gave my hon. Friend, the Member for Knowsley North and Sefton East (Mr. Howarth) on 5 February 2002, Official Report, columns 872W, in which my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary stated that he intended to publish a consultation paper on the subject of entitlement cards by the summer. This remains his intention.

Civil Contingency Secretariat

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the remit of the Civil Contingency Secretariat is; and to whom they report.

David Blunkett: The remit of the Civil Contingencies Secretariat is to make the United Kingdom more effective in planning for, dealing with, and learning lessons from emergencies and disasters.
	The Secretariat services the Civil Contingencies Committee, which I chair and in addition as part of the Cabinet Office reports to my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister (Mr. Blair) through the Cabinet Secretary (Sir Richard Wilson).

Telecoms Companies

Eric Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to require telecoms companies to retain records of calls made.

Beverley Hughes: We are discussing with Service Providers, the Information Commissioner and the Agencies concerned the voluntary Code of Practice provided for by part II of the Anti-Terrorism Crime and Security Act 2001. Following this process the draft Code will be placed before Parliament.

Cyclists

Martin Salter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there have been in each of the last five years of cyclists riding on pavements, broken down by police authority.

John Denham: Information for 1996 to 2000 is shown in the table.
	Statistics for 2001 will be available in the autumn.
	
		Persons 1 proceeded against for riding a bicycle on the footway (pavement) by police force area, 1996–2000 -- England and WalesNumber of persons
		
			 Police force area 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset 6 6 5 6 3 
			 Bedfordshire — — — 1 — 
			 Cambridgeshire 37 7 3 4 — 
			 Cheshire — — 2 1 1 
			 Cleveland — 2 — 1 3 
			 Cumbria 26 39 39 28 16 
			 Derbyshire 4 10 9 3 3 
			 Devon and Cornwall 6 7 11 9 2 
			 Dorset 2 2 4 2 6 
			 Durham — 1 — 2 1 
			 Essex 55 127 241 51 23 
			 Gloucestershire 4 1 5 — 3 
			 Greater Manchester 10 4 20 10 9 
			 Hampshire 92 194 496 95 29 
			 Hertfordshire 2 4 21 4 — 
			 Humberside 3 93 36 6 16 
			 Kent 4 — 8 3 2 
			 Lancashire 4 10 7 1 3 
			 Leicestershire 3 6 1 1 2 
			 Lincolnshire 37 14 8 15 4 
			 London, City of 17 31 13 2 — 
			 Merseyside 13 9 8 3 2 
			 Metropolitan Police 40 19 54 40 10 
			 Norfolk 14 1 14 1 2 
			 Northamptonshire 2 — 1 — 4 
			 Northumbria 1 4 10 20 19 
			 North Yorkshire 1 2 2 27 12 
			 Nottinghamshire 2 1 2 2 5 
			 South Yorkshire — — — — 1 
			 Staffordshire2 1 — 2 3 — 
			 Suffolk 6 10 2 3 2 
			 Surrey 2 — — — — 
			 Sussex 15 7 1 9 — 
			 Thames Valley 2 2 — 1 4 
			 Warwickshire — 1 2 3 1 
			 West Mercia 4 21 18 4 7 
			 West Midlands 4 3 2 3 10 
			 West Yorkshire 2 1 1 6 16 
			 Wiltshire 2 3 3 4 1 
			 Dyfed-Powys — — — 1 1 
			 Gwent — 1 — — — 
			 North Wales — 1 3 — — 
			 South Wales — 4 1 1 — 
			 England and Wales 423 648 1,055 376 223 
		
	
	1 These data are on the principal basis.
	2 Staffordshire Police were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates' courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level and have been excluded from the table.

Assaults

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) black and (b) white youths died as a result of (a) knife attacks and (b) firearm attacks in (i) the Metropolitan Police district and (ii) England in 2001.

John Denham: The information requested is given in the attached table. During 2000–01, there were eight black youth victims of sharp weapon homicide throughout England (seven of which occurred in the Metropolitan Police district). There were 11 white youth victims of sharp weapon homicide, two of which were within the Metropolitan Police district.
	For firearm homicide, there were no black youth victims throughout 2000–01. There were four white youth victims, none of which occurred within the Metropolitan Police District.
	
		Number of knife and firearm attacks on black and white youths, 2000–01
		
			  Sharp Weapon Homicide Firearm Homicide  
			  Black youths White youths Black youths White youths 
		
		
			 Met Police 7 2 0 0 
			 England 8 11 0 4 
		
	
	Notes:
	'Youth' has been taken to mean aged 18 and under.
	Data is based on financial year 2000–01.

Leave to Remain

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of people having been granted time-limited exceptional leave to remain in Britain have not left Britain when the permission expired in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many refusals of extensions of exceptional leave to remain in Britain there were in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Beverley Hughes: The information requested is not available.

Afghanistan

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the numbers of UK citizens who (a) have been and (b) remain with al-Qaida and Taliban forces in Afghanistan.

David Blunkett: holding answer 17 June 2002
	It is not possible for the Government to provide figures for the number of United Kingdom citizens who may be involved with terrorist or other groups in Afghanistan. British citizens are free to travel abroad and they are not obliged to inform United Kingdom authorities of their reasons for travelling.
	The Government have put in place comprehensive measures to tackle terrorism whether committed in the United Kingdom or overseas. The police and the security services attach the highest priority to the investigation and prosecution of terrorist offences.

Football Supporters (Travel Bans)

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many football supporters resident in the West Mercia police authority area have been banned from travelling to the FIFA World Cup.

John Denham: 1,049 individuals are currently subject to football banning orders preventing travel to the 2002 World Cup. Of these, 19 are resident in the West Mercia area.

Police Funding

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes the Budget of 17 April will make to policing in Herefordshire.

John Denham: Police forces in the West Midlands have received extra funding to make communities safer. West Midlands Police received a cash boost to step up operations against street offenders and all forces in the West Midlands, including West Mercia Police, received funding allocations based on careful assessments of their current requirements and commitments to provide an enhanced counter-terrorist capability. The overall level of funding allocated following the Budget, to police forces in the West Midland region for counter terrorism purposes, #910,000, has been made public. To break this down further in public could compromise security.

Correspondence

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the hon. Member for Manchester, Central about the case of Mr. O. Z., reference Z90292/2.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 20 June 2002
	I wrote to my hon. Friend the Member about this case on 17 June 2002.

Correspondence

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will respond to the letter from the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight of 25 April, concerning immigration case G350999.

Beverley Hughes: I wrote to the hon. Member on 20 June. I apologise for the delay in replying.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter to him dated 22 April from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs. Parveen Akhtad.

David Blunkett: A reply to my right hon. Friend was despatched on Thursday 13 June 2002.

Correspondence

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Torbay of 9 April on behalf of Mr. Crossling of Torquay.

John Denham: A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 11 June 2002.

Asylum Seekers

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on financial support for asylum seekers.

Beverley Hughes: Destitute asylum seekers can apply for support whilst their claim is being considered. The National Asylum Support Service (NASS) deals with applications for support. Asylum seekers requiring support can request subsistence and accommodation, subsistence only or accommodation only. Current levels of support are provided in the table. Where accommodation is requested this will normally be provided on a no choice basis in one of the dispersal areas. Accommodation is fully furnished and includes kitchen utensils. The costs of the accommodation including associated utility bills and council tax are met centrally.
	
		Levels of Support with effect from 8 April 2002
		
			  # 
		
		
			 Qualifying couple 59.26 
			 Lone parent aged 18 or over 37.77 
			 Single person aged 25 or over 37.77 
			 Single Person aged at least 18 but under 25 29.89 
			 Person aged at least 16 but under 18 (except a member of a qualifying couple) 32.50 
			 Person aged under 16 33.50 
		
	
	Some asylum seekers remain supported by local authorities under the interim provisions. Others are supported under income support arrangements.
	The budget for National Asylum Support Service (NASS) in 2000–01 was #38 million*. This figure includes grants totalling #22 million* to the voluntary sector for the provision of services to asylum seekers and refugees. Total spending on asylum support in the year 1 April 2000 to 31 March 2001 was #751 million*. This includes grant payments of #580 million* to local authorities and the Scottish Executive for provision of accommodation and support for asylum seeking adults and families under the Interim Regulations and for unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC). A further #12 million* was paid to local authorities and the Scottish Executive directly by NASS under contracts to provide accommodation and related services for dispersed asylum seekers. #46 million* was paid directly by NASS to private sector accommodation providers for the provision of accommodation and related services to dispersed asylum seekers.
	The budget for NASS for the last financial year, 2001–2002, was #40.0 million*. This figure included grants totalling #18.1 million* to the voluntary sector for the provision of services to asylum seekers and refugees. The budget for asylum support for 2001–2002 was #1,094 million*.
	The NASS budget for 2002–2003 is #40.5 million*. This figure includes grants totalling #18.6 million* to the voluntary sector for the provision of services to asylum seekers. The current budget for support is #434 million.
	* All figures rounded to nearest # million.

Asylum Seekers

Linda Perham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if asylum-seeking adults with dependent children who do not qualify for support will be allowed to work.

Beverley Hughes: Generally speaking asylum seekers are not allowed to work whilst their application for asylum is being considered. But under the terms of the employment concession an asylum seeker can apply for permission to work if, and only if, their application remains outstanding for longer than six months without a decision being made on it. There are no plans to amend the way the concession operates. The concession is applied across the board, to supported and unsupported asylum seekers alike.
	An asylum seeker with dependant children who does not qualify for support is not automatically allowed to work.

Asylum Seekers

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects cash-only support for new asylum applicants to end.

Beverley Hughes: The White Paper, Secure Border Safe Haven, published 7 February 2002 made it clear that we are looking at the case for abolishing the Xcash-only" option and the Bill currently being debated by Parliament does include a provision for an Order making power for the withdrawal of the cash only support option either wholly or in specified circumstances. However, no decisions have been taken about when and how the power, if agreed, will be exercised.

Asylum Seekers

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many languages are spoken among those whose claims for asylum are registered and undetermined.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 18 June 2002
	The number of applicants who have applied for asylum and are currently awaiting an initial decision on their asylum application is not available by either language spoken or nationality, and would only be available at disproportionate cost by examination of individual case files.

HEALTH

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will reply to the letter to him dated 7 May from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to John and Maureen Wilson.

Alan Milburn: A reply was sent on 21 June.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will reply to the letter to him dated 29 April from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Beryl Clark.

Alan Milburn: A reply was sent on 20 June.

Correspondence

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will reply to the letter dated 2 May from the hon. and learned Member for Harborough about the Leicester Royal Infirmary and the Leicester Epilepsy Concerned Parents and Carers Group.

David Lammy: A reply was sent on 19 June.

Correspondence

Brian Mawhinney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for North-West Cambridgeshire of 16 January, on behalf of his constituent Mrs. A. Tremlett.

John Hutton: holding answer 26 April 2002
	A reply was sent on 19 June.

Hair Dyes (Cancer)

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the report by the European Commission concerning links between hair dyes with cancers.

Melanie Johnson: I have been asked to reply.
	The document issued by the European Commission's Scientific Committee on Cosmetics and Non-Food Products (SCCNFP) on 27 February 2002, is a discussion paper on XAssessment Strategies for Hair Dyes".
	The initial findings of the SCCNFP suggest that all 57 permanent hair dyes are suitable for use in consumer products. However, the UK, along with other member states, has some concerns about the scientific methodology the SCCNFP have used to reach their conclusions, and for the sake of public reassurance and business confidence we have asked them to re-evaluate their studies with more evidence-based methodology.

Radiation

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health by what means Her Majesty's Government intends to evaluate the relative importance of new evidence in respect of the effects of practices which give rise to exposure to ionising radiation as is required under Article 6 (iii) of the Basic Safety Standards Directive covering radiation exposures, Council Directive 96/29/Euratom, 13 May 1996.

Michael Meacher: I have been asked to reply.
	I believe this question is intended to refer to Article 6 (ii) of Directive 96/29/Euratom. The Department is preparing an administrative note describing the way that decisions will be taken by the responsible Secretaries of State under Articles 6 (i) and (ii) of the Directive. The note will be published in due course.
	The responsible Secretary of State will, in accordance with Article 6 (ii) of the Directive, consider whether a review of an existing class or type of practice should be carried out whenever new and important evidence about its efficacy or consequences is acquired.
	The responsible Secretary of State will assess very carefully any information which comes to his or her attention which suggests that a review of justification may be appropriate. If the responsible Secretary of State decides to undertake a review, interested bodies and members of the public will be invited to comment on the Secretary of State's initial assessment of whether the class or type of practice continues to be justified. Any representations made to the responsible Secretary of State either about the case for carrying out a review or about whether a class or type of practice continues to be justified will be very carefully considered before a final decision is reached.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Correspondence

Tim Collins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  what the average response time was to departmental correspondence from Government departments to (a) members of the public and (b) hon. Members in the last 12 months;
	(2)  what percentage of letters from (a) members of the public and (b) hon. Members exceeded the average response time in each year since 1998;
	(3)  what the target response time is to departmental correspondence in Government departments; and what percentage of letters exceeded the target response time in each year since 1998;
	(4)  when he will publish the latest Government statistics on the volumes of and performance on departmental correspondence.

Douglas Alexander: I have been asked to reply.
	Departments' handling of hon. Members' correspondence is published in the form of an annual report. For details of departmental performance in 2001, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for Shipley, on 24 May 2002, Official Report, column 674-76W. The handling of correspondence from members of the public forms one of the six service standards that focus on the performance of the main central government departments and agencies in dealing with the public. Details of Departmental performance against these standards has previously been published by the Cabinet Office in the form of an annual report. The last report covers the period 1 April 2000 to 31 March 2001 and was published at the end of July 2001. This and previous reports are available in the Library of the House.
	In future, Departments and agencies will be required to report on their progress in improving handling of correspondence as part of their Service Delivery Agreements which will be published in departmental annual reports and on departmental websites.

Fire Services

Jim Cousins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs. May) of 12 June 2002, Official Report, columns 1296-98W, if he will express the Fire Service SSA figures as a sum per head of population in each Fire Service authority area.

Nick Raynsford: Fire SSA figures as a sum per head of population in each fire authority area, for the six years ending 2002–03, are shown in the table:
	
		Fire Standard Spending Assessment (# per head)
		
			 Authority 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			 Avon 23.83 24.78 25.64 26.74 27.79 29.57 
			 Bedfordshire and Luton 20.72 21.93 22.76 23.50 24.72 25.72 
			 Buckinghamshire 20.13 21.13 21.91 22.29 23.73 24.52 
			 Cambridgeshire and Peterborough 19.67 21.07 21.92 22.56 23.38 24.07 
			 Cheshire 21.51 22.70 23.12 23.58 24.98 25.73 
			 Cleveland 36.00 37.74 38.95 39.95 41.72 43.58 
			 Cornwall 23.44 24.84 25.62 26.27 27.65 28.30 
			 County Durham and Darlington 23.03 24.09 24.86 25.77 26.72 27.06 
			 Cumbria 23.40 24.72 25.74 26.02 27.11 28.26 
			 Derbyshire 22.38 23.36 24.77 25.17 25.80 26.33 
			 Devon 22.81 24.31 24.73 25.73 26.69 27.55 
			 Dorset 21.20 22.14 23.09 23.69 24.62 25.26 
			 East Sussex 24.03 25.38 26.35 27.31 28.70 29.66 
			 Essex 22.26 23.22 24.01 24.58 26.15 26.90 
			 Gloucestershire 19.58 20.05 20.78 21.76 21.86 22.68 
			 Greater Manchester 28.37 29.91 30.65 31.55 32.86 33.49 
			 Hampshire 20.49 21.70 22.39 23.32 24.43 25.65 
			 Hereford and Worcester 18.48 19.15 20.54 21.12 21.54 22.52 
			 Hertfordshire 21.77 22.84 23.11 24.91 25.66 26.48 
			 Humberside 27.03 27.78 29.12 30.02 31.15 31.86 
			 Isle of Wight 24.92 27.06 28.48 29.80 30.94 32.05 
			 Isles of Scilly 147.34 155.06 158.44 160.90 161.53 165.15 
			 Kent and Medway Towns 21.39 22.71 23.34 24.31 25.59 26.47 
			 Lancashire 25.18 26.24 27.22 28.09 28.86 30.29 
			 Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland 20.96 21.74 22.29 23.02 23.85 24.58 
			 Lincolnshire 18.31 19.01 19.53 20.01 20.70 21.77 
			 London 35.42 36.84 37.98 39.27 41.51 43.27 
			 Merseyside 33.91 35.32 36.67 37.29 38.39 39.06 
			 Norfolk 19.23 19.78 20.66 21.18 21.60 22.39 
			 North Yorkshire 19.60 20.82 21.99 22.56 23.63 25.19 
			 Northamptonshire 19.78 20.77 21.44 21.57 22.72 23.37 
			 Northumberland 25.34 26.23 27.55 28.28 29.72 30.47 
			 Nottinghamshire & City of Nottingham 22.25 23.57 24.13 24.72 25.70 26.22 
			 Oxfordshire 20.73 21.82 22.18 23.02 24.13 25.18 
			 Royal Berkshire 22.09 23.30 23.68 24.57 26.19 27.43 
			 Shropshire 19.13 19.44 19.97 20.57 21.43 21.79 
			 Somerset 18.90 19.79 20.98 21.44 22.54 23.14 
			 South Yorkshire 24.78 26.11 27.36 27.94 28.78 29.77 
			 Staffordshire Fire Authority 19.99 20.83 21.19 21.92 22.51 23.05 
			 Suffolk 18.31 19.07 20.18 20.71 21.51 22.11 
			 Surrey 22.34 23.25 23.91 24.69 25.92 26.96 
			 Tyne and Wear 31.54 32.19 32.88 33.90 35.65 36.84 
			 Warwickshire 20.74 22.13 22.43 23.03 23.87 24.50 
			 West Midlands 27.42 28.63 29.79 30.71 31.73 32.87 
			 West Sussex 21.67 23.28 23.04 24.78 25.80 26.97 
			 West Yorkshire 27.21 28.26 29.04 29.46 30.85 31.23 
			 Wiltshire and Swindon 17.71 18.61 19.70 19.96 20.83 21.37 
		
	
	* Current name of fire authority. A number of authorities were affected by local government reorganisation on 1 April 1997 and 1998 and (London) 3 July 2000
	NB—In the case of combined fire authorities, for example, Kent & Medway Towns, the fire SSA is allocated to the constituent local unitary authorities.

Better Public Buildings Initiative

Debra Shipley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps the Government Offices for the Regions are taking to deliver the Prime Minister's Better Public Buildings Initiative.

Nick Raynsford: The management of the Government Offices' own buildings comes under the Estate Strategy for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. A good example of Government Offices responding to the Better Public Buildings initiative is the project for a new home for the Government Office for Yorkshire and the Humber. The scheme aims to be an exemplar of design excellence and sustainability.
	The Government Offices also play an active role in encouraging better public buildings by working in partnership with other regional agents. For example, the Government Office for London procured City Hall, the new Headquarters for the Greater London Authority. This building, designed by the architects Foster and Partners, is due to be handed over to the Mayor on 24 June 2002.
	Government Offices have responsibility, in conjunction with local partners, for the delivery of European Regional Development Funds (ERDF) which have supported many projects to develop public buildings. One example is the showcase Millennium Point building in Birmingham which received over #20 million ERDF.

Parish Councils

Norman Lamb: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  how many parish councillors in England and Wales have signed up to the new Parish Councils Code of Conduct;
	(2)  how many parish councillors in England and Wales have resigned since the introduction of the new Parish Councils Code of Conduct;
	(3)  if he will make a statement on the position of parish councillors in England and Wales who do not sign the Parish Councils Code of Conduct.

Nick Raynsford: Over 4,300 parish councils in England have notified the Standards Board for England that they have adopted new codes of conduct. No central records are kept of the number of individual councillors who have given an undertaking to observe the code.
	Parish councillors are under no obligation to inform the Government or the Standards Board if they choose to resign. Around 30 parish councillors have written informing us that they have resigned in response to the introduction of the code of conduct.
	All parish councillors are now subject to the code. On election, new parish councillors must give a written undertaking to observe the code before taking office. When a council has adopted a code, its existing members must within two months give a written undertaking to observe the code, or cease to be councillors. In those councils which have not yet adopted a code, there is no obligation on existing councillors to give a written undertaking to observe a code, although all such councillors are subject to the provisions of the national code. In Wales, these matters are the responsibility of the National Assembly for Wales.

Health and Safety Directorate

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how the Fire Health and Safety Directorate will co-ordinate its work with the Health and Safety Directorate.

Nick Raynsford: The Fire Health and Safety Directorate of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, and the Health and Safety Commission and Executive, now sponsored by the Department for Transport, are both working toward the goal of making homes and workplaces healthier, safer and better places to live and work. They continue to work very closely together.

Timber Products

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what measures his Department has taken to encourage local authorities to procure timber products from sustainable sources.

Nick Raynsford: Local authorities are responsible in law for their own decisions on procurement. It is for them to decide whether or not to procure timber products from sustainable sources. In doing so they need to have regard to achieving Best Value and abide by relevant Procurement legislation.
	My Department has not issued specific guidance on this issue. Central Government's timber procurement policy statement is widely available and can be adapted or adopted by local authorities if they wish. Officials from my Office, DEFRA and the OGC are working with local government through the Improvement and Development Agency to explore means by which local authorities can pursue sustainable development through their procurement activities.

Cheltenham Borough Council

Nigel Jones: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he expects to publish (a) his decision on the new electoral arrangements for Cheltenham Borough Council and (b) an order implementing his decision.

Nick Raynsford: The Borough of Cheltenham (Electoral Changes) Order, made on 30 November 2001, implements these decisions.

WORK AND PENSIONS

New Deal

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people from ethnic minorities in (a) Hackney, (b) Newham and (c) Tower Hamlets have obtained jobs through the New Deal for Young People in each year since it was established.

Nick Brown: The information is in the table.
	
		
			  People from ethnic minorities moving into jobs through NDYP  
			 Unit of Delivery 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001—02 1 
		
		
			 Hackney & City 375 626 636 342 
			 Newham 312 426 403 404 
			 Tower Hamlets 309 393 314 289 
		
	
	Note:
	1 Up to the end of January 2002.
	Source:
	New Deal Evaluation Database.

New Deal

Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many young people in Glasgow, Cathcart have found full-time work as a result of the New Deal;
	(2)  how many people in Glasgow, Cathcart have found full-time work as a result of the New Deal for the over-50s;
	(3)  how many people in Glasgow, Cathcart have found employment as a result of the New Deal for Lone Parents.

Nick Brown: The available information is in the table:
	
		
			 Programme Number of people in the Glasgow Cathcart parliamentary constituency helped into jobs (at the end of March 2002) 1 
		
		
			 New Deal for Young People 570 
			 New Deal 50 plus 80 
			 New Deal for Lone Parents 250 
		
	
	Note:
	1 A breakdown by full- and part-time jobs is not available.
	Source:
	New Deal Evaluation Database.

Mental Health

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what action he is taking to improve the job prospects of those with mental health problems.

Nick Brown: We have a wide range of programmes that have proved successful in helping people with disabilities, including those with mental health problems, secure work where they are ready and able to do so.
	Over 8,200 people were helped into work through the New Deal for Disabled People pilots and building on that success we have established a national network of Job Brokers. The New Deal enables those with a health condition or disability to find and move into work and to help themselves to become, and remain, independent. And from this April we have introduced new permitted work rules in Incapacity Benefit to make it easier for people to make the first moves into work.
	People with mental health problems can also take part in all the main Jobcentre Plus programmes and have full access to its services. Disability Employment Advisers provide specialist support to disabled jobseekers, disabled employees and their employers. The roll-out of integrated Jobcentre Plus offices is providing disabled people with work-focused meetings with a personal adviser to ensure they are aware of all the help and opportunities available to them.

Housing Benefit

Eric Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to reform housing benefit; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Hazel Grove on 15 April 2002, Official Report, column 695W.

Broadband

Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the benefits of access to broadband services for the (a) Benefits Agency and (b) Employment Service; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Brown: The Department's Modernisation programme as a whole will deliver improved customer-facing services, reduce fraud and error and help it to operate more efficiently and flexibly. A new IT infrastructure, including broadband network services, is being installed to support the Modernisation programme and help achieve its benefits.

Broadband

Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what targets he has set for the roll out of broadband services in (a) benefits agencies and (b) Jobcentre Plus offices.

Nick Brown: Broadband network services are being installed as part of the Department's new IT infrastructure to support its Modernisation programme. Almost all of the former Employment Service staff and over half of the staff in the rest of the Department already use broadband-class data networks. It is intended to complete the roll out of the Department's broadband network by the end of the 2002–03 financial year.

Carers Allowance

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many applications for carers allowance (formerly invalid care allowance) have been refused in (a) Angus and (b) Scotland in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: The information is not available in the format requested.

Carers Allowance

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) Angus and (b) Scotland were in receipt of (i) carers allowance (formerly invalid care allowance) and (ii) both carers allowance and income support in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: Information on the number of Invalid Care Allowance recipients, broken down by area, is available only from 2001. At 31 December 2001 there were about 37,100 recipients in Scotland and 465 in Angus. The numbers of Income Support recipients who also receive Invalid Care Allowance is in the table.
	
		Numbers of Income Support recipients in Scotland and Angus who also receive Invalid Care Allowance 1,2
		
			  Angus Parliamentary Constituency 3 Scotland Government Office Region 
		
		
			 February 1998 200 17,900 
			 February 1999 200 17,600 
			 February 2000 200 18,800 
			 February 2001 200 19,700 
			 February 2002 300 20,600 
		
	
	Notes:
	1 Figures include cases where the partner of an Income Support recipient is in receipt of Invalid Care Allowance.
	2 Figures are based on a five per cent. sample, which is subject to sampling variation, and rounded to the nearest hundred. Those for Angus are based on a very small sample and provide only a general indication of the numbers of recipients in that area.
	3 Parliamentary constituencies are defined using the relevant ONS postcode directory and are based on the May 1997 boundaries.
	Source:
	Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiries, February 1998 to February 2002.

Benefits

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment he has made of the incentives in the benefits system for young people (a) to marry at an early age and (b) to have children at an early age; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Brown: holding answer 19 June 2002
	There are no incentives within the benefits system for young people to marry or have children at an early age. In general, young people under the age of 18 are excluded from receiving income-related benefits. The majority of benefit recipients under the age of 25 are single with no dependents.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

East Timor

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  pursuant to his answer of 9 May 2002, Official Report, column 310W, on East Timor, why no information about the deaths of British citizens Malcolm Rennie and Brian Peters killed in East Timor in 1975 was passed by the British Government to their families between 1975 and 1994;
	(2)  for what reason no information about the deaths of Malcolm Rennie and Brian Peters was passed to their families between 1977 and 1994.

Mike O'Brien: In 1975–76 the British Government were in contact with the relatives of Brian Peters and Malcolm Rennie to pass on information about their deaths.
	I am informed that from our archived files it does not appear that any new information came to light between 1977 and 1994 that would require passing on to the families. In 1994 the relatives resumed contact with the FCO.
	We have begun to prepare these documents for release to the families. This process is likely to take around a couple of weeks. We will then need to clear the documents with the Australian Government, which will take another month. We expect to release the documents as soon as possible after that.

East Timor

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the Australian Government concerning the UN investigation into the deaths at Balibo, East Timor in 1975.

Mike O'Brien: holding reply of 10 June 2002
	Our diplomatic staff in Dili have maintained regular contact with their Australian colleagues on this issue.

East Timor

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when Her Majesty's Government were informed of Indonesia's plans for a full scale invasion of East Timor in 1975.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer of 10 June 2002
	The British Government were of course aware of reports of Indonesian involvement in East Timor ahead of the invasion in 1975, but the situation was far from clear and reports were difficult to verify. In the absence of any British representation in the area, HMG had no independent means of doing so. The UK deplored the Indonesian invasion and never recognised the incorporation of East Timor into Indonesia.

East Timor

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he next plans to meet representatives of the Indonesian Government; and if he will raise the case of the deaths of Malcolm Rennie and Brian Peters in East Timor in 1975 at that meeting.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 10 June 2002
	The Government continue to take an active interest in this case and have raised and will continue to raise our concerns with the Indonesian authorities at every appropriate opportunity.

East Timor

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what role his Department has played in the UN investigation into the deaths at Balibo, East Timor in 1975.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 10 June 2002
	British diplomatic staff in Dili have remained in close contact with UN investigation team in East Timor.

East Timor

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make his Department's non-intelligence papers on the Balibo case available for study by the UN, the relatives and independent experts.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 10 June 2002
	We have begun to prepare these documents for release to the families. This process is likely to take around a couple of weeks. We will then need to clear the documents with the Australian Government, which will take another month. We expect to release the documents as soon as possible after that.

East Timor

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the status is of the UN investigation announced in September 2000 into the Balibo case, including the deaths of Malcolm Rennie and Brian Peters in East Timor in 1975; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 10 June 2002
	Denis McNamara, the Deputy SRSG in East Timor, has confirmed that the UN investigation remains open. Our Ambassador in Dili will continue to monitor developments closely.

East Timor

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 9 May 2002, Official Report, column 310W, on East Timor, what further information regarding the deaths of Malcolm Rennie and Brian Peters he has received from the new investigation.

Mike O'Brien: Denis McNamara, the Deputy SRSG in East Timor, has confirmed that the UN investigation into the death of the five journalists in 1975 remains open. The UN investigation team has submitted a request to the Office of the Attorney General of Indonesia to be allowed to interview possible witnesses in Indonesia. We will continue to maintain regular contact with the UN pending the outcome of the enquiry.

Kashmir

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his European counterparts on the situation in Kashmir.

Mike O'Brien: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed the current situation in Kashmir with his European Counterparts at the EU General Affairs Council in Luxembourg on 17 June. The topic was also on the agenda of the previous week's General Affairs Council, at which my right hon. Friend the Member for Neath (Peter Hain) represented the UK.

Government Information

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 9 May 2002, Official Report, column 306W, on Government information, how many internal reviews under the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information have been conducted by his Department since 1 January 2000; and how many have been completed within the target time of 20 working days.

Denis MacShane: Four and one.

Belarus

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of developments in the human rights situation in Belarus since September last year; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: Since the flawed Presidential elections in September last year, we have registered no improvement in the human rights situation in Belarus. Despite the release from prison of one prominent figure in March, political opponents of the regime, the independent media and human rights NGOs continue to suffer harassment. With our EU partners and others, the Government will continue to convey our concerns about these abuses to the Belarusian authorities.

Belarus

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on relations with Belarus.

Mike O'Brien: Our relations with Belarus remain constrained by our concerns over human rights violations and lack of reform. We restrict senior-level contacts and confine our assistance to projects aimed at developing civil society and the NGO sector, as well as humanitarian aid for Chernobyl victims.

Lamassoure Report

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what Her Majesty's Government's policy is towards the Lamassoure Report approved by the European Parliament on 16 May.

Peter Hain: The Lamassoure Report is one of many contributions to the on-going debate about the future of Europe and, more specifically, the division of competences between the EU and Member States. My intervention to the European Convention on 15 April set out the Government's thinking on competences. A full transcript is available on http://european-convention.eu.int or www.fco.gov.uk.

EU Applicant Countries

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance the UK has given to each EU applicant country since 7 June 2001.

Peter Hain: The UK pays 19.6 per cent. of EU pre-accession assistance (the total figure for such assistance was Euro 3,240 million in 2001 and Euro 3,328 million in 2002).
	Last financial year, the Department for International Development provided further assistance for the Candidate Countries through its bilateral programme of assistance. The amounts spent per country was; Baltic States (Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia) #1,595,765, Poland #2,526,998, Hungary #1,264,405, Slovakia #2,180,647, Czech Republic #725,416, Slovenia #82,800, Romania #5,430,728, Bulgaria #,760,117, Turkey #2,485,074. DFID did not provide any specific assistance for Cyprus and Malta.
	The Department for International Development also provided #2,254,120 for Central and Eastern European Regional Projects.
	The UK was the second largest contributor to the EU's TAIEX programme, which delivers technical assistance to Applicant Countries, including transposition of legislation in 2001 and is the leading Member State so far in 2002. Over 20 UK civil servants have been selected in the last year to work on new twinning projects in applicant country Ministries, making over 50 either in the countries or preparing to arrive. The UK won the second highest number of new twinning projects in 2001 (25) and has won involvement in eight more so far in 2002. The UK has now won its one hundredth such project and was the first Member State to become involved in projects in all 12 eligible countries.
	Through bilateral Action Plans, the Foreign Office spent #1.8 million in the EU applicant countries during the last financial year. An additional #608,541 was spent from Command Programme Budget allowances devolved to the Embassies in the Candidate Countries. Further assistance has been provided through functional departments' budgets (e.g. Global Conflict Prevention Fund) but to provide the information requested would incur disproportionate costs.

UKREP

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff are employed at UKREP.

Denis MacShane: The number of staff employed at the UKREP Office in Brussels is 152.

Arms Trade

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions his Department have had with the Iranian Government regarding unlicensed production in Iran of BAE Systems/Heckler & Koch's G3 rifles and MP5 submachine guns.

Mike O'Brien: We have had no recent discussions with the Iranian Government in this regard. We are not aware of any such unlicensed production of the weapons in question.

UKvisas

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much it cost to rebrand the visa operation as UKvisas.

Mike O'Brien: The direct cost of re-branding JECU to UKvisas was #9,354.56. There were other related costs, all met from existing resources and staffing.
	The decision to change to UKvisas was to project a clear, easily understood and up to date identity for the entry clearance operation.

Business Ambassadors

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the names of the business ambassadors, and how many business ambassadors he has appointed since 7 June 2002.

Denis MacShane: The current Ambassadors for British Business and the date of their appointment are listed below.
	
		Ambassadors for British Business
		
			 Name Date appointed 
		
		
			 Sir David Alliance CBE November 1997 
			 Sir David Brown November 1997 
			 Lord Browne of Madingley November 1997 
			 Sir Trevor Chinn CVO November 1997 
			 Iain Dale CBE November 1997 
			 Sir Patrick Gillam November 1997 
			 Allan Gormly CBE November 1997 
			 Sir Ronald Hampel November 1997 
			 Lord Haskins November 1997 
			 Sir David John KCMG November 1997 
			 Lord Marshall of Knightsbridge November 1997 
			 John M Neill CBE November 1997 
			 Lord Paul of Marylebone November 1997 
			 Tony Pedder November 1997 
			 Sir Ian Prosser November 1997 
			 Sir Ralph Robins DL November 1997 
			 Anita Roddick OBE November 1997 
			 Sir Nigel Rudd DL November 1997 
			 Lord Simpson of Dunkeld November 1997 
			 Sir Paul Smith CBE November 1997 
			 Sir Martin Sorrell November 1997 
			 Sir Richard Sykes November 1997 
			 Sir Robert Wilson KCMG November 1997 
			 Sir Peter Bonfield CBE March 2000 
			 Digby Jones March 2000

Unpaid Advisers

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 10 April 2002, Official Report, column 63W, on unpaid advisers, if he will list the steps that were taken to ensure no conflicts of interest arose as a result of this appointment.

Mike O'Brien: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given him by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 19 June, Official Report, column 332W.

Iraq

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on relations with Iraq.

Mike O'Brien: We have no diplomatic relations with Iraq. We have limited official-level contacts. We use them to urge Iraq to comply with all relevant Security Council resolutions, including on weapons inspections, so allowing Iraq's reintegration into the international community.

Iraq

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what happens to the funds raised by the sales of impounded Iraqi oil form ships stopped by coalition forces; and how such funds have been used over the last five years.

Mike O'Brien: Under UN Security resolution 778 (1992), the proceeds, less expenses, of the sale of seized illegal Iraqi oil are paid into the UN escrow account which funds the UN XOil for Food" humanitarian programme.

Iraq

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many ships were stopped by coalition forces with Iraqi oil on board in contravention of UN sanctions in each of the last five years.

Mike O'Brien: The number of ships diverted by the Maritime Interception Force (MIF) is:
	1997—26;
	1998—40;
	1999—19;
	2000—82; and
	2001—115.
	The figure for 2002, up until 18 June, is 89.

Western Sahara

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met officials from (a) the UN and (b) the EU to discuss the status of the Western Sahara.

Mike O'Brien: UK Officials are in regular contact with UN and EU officials. We continue to support the efforts of the UN in trying to find a just and durable resolution to the Western Sahara dispute.

Western Sahara

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last discussed the status of the Western Sahara with the Moroccan Government.

Mike O'Brien: We regularly discuss the issue of Western Sahara with the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco. My predecessor my hon. Friend the Member for Exeter (Mr. Ben Bradshaw) raised the issue during his visit to Morocco in September 2001 and when he met with Mohammed Benaissa the Moroccan Foreign Minister during his visit to London in March 2002. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary also discussed the subject with Mohammed Benaissa during his visit to London in February 2002.